DS9/VOY: Journey's Crossroad

[JME2]

Disclaimer: Star Trek and Star Trek: The Next Generation created by Gene Roddenberry. Star Trek: Deep Space Nine created by Rick Berman and Michael Piller. Star Trek: Voyager created by Rick Berman, Michael Piller, and Jerri Taylor. Star Trek owned by Viacom. I own the No copyright infringement intended.

Star Trek: DS9/VOY: Journey’s Crossroad

***

Author's Note: Okay, first the bad news is that I have no plans to return to Fearful Symmetry at this time. I just don’t have the energy or the schedule to jump back into what was plotted out as a long-running, multi-part epic on the level of Mike Wong’s Conquest or Stravo’s Starcrossed. In time maybe I’ll give it another stab.

In the interim, the good news is that I do want to get back into writing as a form of stress relief and I have no problems tackling an ongoing, yet smaller-scale project. In addition, I’ve had this a germ of an idea for a while. Anyone who follows my recommendations for Star Trek literature knows I love stories and novels that fill in the blanks and act as a bridge between the many episodes and movies.

So, Journey’s Crossroad is a means to achieve all those goals, to relieve some stress, restart my writing muscles, and try to tell an untold story from the 24th Century-era.

I hope you enjoy.

***

Historian’s Note: The prologue is set in the Prime Reality during Season 6 of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. It takes place between the episodes “Honor Among Thieves” and “Change of Heart”.


***

Prologue

Deep Space Nine
Stardate 51501 (January 2374, Old Earth Calendar)

The collective groans of DS9’s senior staff echoed through the Wardroom as the conference table and window illumination panels began flickering. Not wanting to be left out, the display viewscreen on the adjoining wall quickly jumped back into the proceedings. This was the sixth time that power to the Wardroom had been compromised since the staff meeting had begun. Sighing, Captain Sisko put down the PADD he’d been reading from and slowly counted to five. Then he tapped his communicator.

“Sisko to Ensign Nog.”

“I know sir, I know!” There was a brief pause as the sound of sparking equipment and what Sisko thought was Bajoran profanity filled the background of the comm channel. “My father and Team Eight are still trying to offset the instability and reroute the -- ”

“Listen to me carefully, Ensign,” interrupted Sisko. His tone triggered Yellow Alert klaxons in the heads of the assembled Starfleet officers, Bajoran Militia Major, and shapeshifting Constable. They had served under him for five years and knew the warning signs, the point when the Captain was about to cross the line that separated irritation from tranquil fury.

It wasn't just the technical problems, though. Throughout the entire meeting, they'd had the sense that something else was on Sisko's mind...

The Captain deliberately paused, then continued, “I don’t care if you have to round up a pack of voles, put them on an anti-gravity treadmill, dangle bait in front of them, and then hook it up to the fusion reactor. Just stabilize the power distribution for the Wardroom’s systems. Do I make myself clear?”

“...Understood, sir. Nog out.”

“I’m beginning to wonder if the Chief intentionally does this to us everytime he goes on leave,” muttered Kira as the comm channel closed.

“I believe it’s known in the trade as ensuring one’s job security,” agreed Bashir.

“Give the word and I’ll open an investigation,” Odo responded dryly. “I’m tired of Quark lodging complaints with me instead of the appropriate someone -- namely his brother, nephew, or anyone else on the maintenance teams.”

"People, it’s almost over. The Chief will be back around 1300 hours today," said Sisko in an attempt to calm his staff as well as his own nerves. He wasn’t in a position to volunteer information on O'Brien's undercover assignment to Farius Prime -- a mission that had foiled a Dominion attempt to use the Orion Syndicate to splinter the Federation-Klingon alliance.

Still, Sisko knew that his officers had been dying to know the Chief’s whereabouts -- especially as O’Brien was the only engineer who seemed able to keep the station’s Federation and Cardassian technologies running in tandem. Every time O’Brien left DS9 for extended periods, things inevitably started to go haywire.

It was especially embarrassing -- to say nothing of a security concern -- at a time like this. It had been two months since the Federation and Klingons had retaken control of the station from the Dominion. DS9 was now at the forefront of operations in the Cardassian theater of the War, the headquarters for the mighty Ninth Fleet...and they couldn’t even keep the lights on without an enlisted Irishman?

Maybe his Chief Medical Officer was actually on to something.

“If it’s alright Benjamin, I’d like to reserve a Runabout in advance. You know, just in case the Chief gets waylaid and we have to tractor him back here,” said Dax. The Trill was clearly unable to resist getting in one last shot and Sisko’s lip twitched in response. Well, that, and his realization that of all his assembled officers, Worf was (unsurprisingly) the only one not joining in on the banter.

"Before we adjourn,” said Sisko as he glanced at his PADD, “I have one more thing to add. There's been a...development Starfleet Command apprised me of late last night."

Everyone looked at the Captain, the friendly banter and goodwill giving way to the familiar tension and weariness the Dominion War had imbued into station life. Anything from Command boded ill given how the war effort was progressing. The Dominion was slowly regaining the initiative and they all had fears about incursions into the Bajor sector -- even with the Wormhole now strategically worthless.

"It's not Dominion-related," continued Sisko, sensing their trepidation. "But Command will be holding a press conference at 1400 hours, station time. I’m informing you in advance for reasons that will become clear because it is linked to us, however tangentially. But until the release goes out, what I’m about to say will not leave the Wardroom. Understood?"

All heads nodded. Sisko waited a moment, then continued his revelation. "It concerns an old ghost of ours: The Voyager."

The last two words were not what anyone had been expecting to hear.

"I thought Command closed the book on the Voyager’s disappearance last year," said Dax, clearly surprised.

"Have they actually located debris?" asked Bashir. "I mean, the Defiant and the other ships assigned to the search swept the Badlands and surrounding space just how many times? How could we have missed anything?”

"The Board of Inquiry's findings ruled that the absence of debris was in all likelihood due to the plasma storms," said Worf. He was citing the final report that had gone out shortly before Cardassia had joined the Dominion last year. "They also ruled that the same fate likely befell the Val Jean.”

“But no one involved in the search ever found signs of a resonance trace from either of their warp cores -- or for that matter, resonance traces for any of the other vessels lost prior to Voyager’s disappearance,” Dax countered. This was an old argument that the Trill science officer had long favored.

“Or the Cardassians just captured it,” muttered Kira, slipping back into her own theory about the loss of the Voyager.

“If you’ll recall, I did speculate the missing ships could be part of a Central Command plot to acquire non-Cardassian technology,” agreed Odo. “The Badlands would have provided the perfect cover to capture ships. I still think it’s too much of a coincidence that the disappearances ceased only after an advanced Intrepid-class ship went missing.”

“Then evidence would have emerged that the Central Command was reverse engineering bio neural circuitry or any number of advanced systems the Voyager was outfitted with,” argued Dax. Worf shook his head.

“Reverse-engineering alien technology has never been one of the Cardassian military’s strong suits,” said the Klingon. “We’ve observed firsthand the difficulties the Dominion has had adapting Jem’Hadar weaponry and long-range transporters for Cardassian ships. If they did have it, it would have been put to use during Gowron’s invasion or the early stages of the Dominion campaign.”

Dax glared at her husband before looking back at the Constable. Odo knew what she was about to say.

“The Obsidian Order’s another story,” he admitted. “But the Voyager disappeared three months before the Order was wiped out at the Omarion Nebula. If they were experimenting with advanced Starfleet technology, we’ll never know. ”

Dax looked like she was ready throw her hands up in exasperation. “Look, I said it three years ago and I’ll say it again: Both ships just disappeared into thin air and it doesn’t make any sense!”

“And Dax is right,” said Sisko, finally stepping into the discussion “According to Command, the Voyager made contact with Starfleet three days ago.”

The senior staff sat there in stunned silence.

"Where the hell have they been for the last three years?" Kira asked incredulously.

"The last place anyone would think to look," lamented Sisko. “The Delta Quadrant.”

To be continued...

[FaxModem1]

Okay, I'm now intrigued. This is probably just after 'Message in a Bottle', right?

[JME2]

Right. I intentionally set the prologue at a point where DS9 Season 6 intersected with "Message in a Bottle" and "Hunters".

That's why I had to acknowledge the events of "Honor Among Thieves" -- though it allowed for that opening gag and Sisko putting the fear of God into Nog. As SF Debris had said again and again, don't fuck with the Sisko.

The idea for this story came out of how heavily DS9 was always tied to VOY. The Badlands and the Maquis were set up on DS9 and the station was Voyager's last port of call before the Caretaker abducted them.

While we've seen official literature deal with how friends and family of Voyager's crew reacted to the news, I don't think anyone at Pocket Book's really explored that DS9 connection, of how they might have reacted to this news in the midst of the Dominion War.

While I'll explore Sisko and company's reactions, that's not the main focus of the story. You'll see what I mean when Chapter 1's finished, but there's a lot seeded in the prologue.

[FaxModem1]

Aside from Quark, I don't think anyone actually interacted with the Voyager crew. Or is Voyager as famous as the Flying Dutchman and is now a sort of legend for those at DS9?

EDIT: Typed in the wrong ship.

[JME2]

The idea is that Voyager ended up as the most prominent of the ships lost in the Badlands before the Caretaker croaked.

Think about it: A newly minted Starfleet ship goes missing with all this cutting edge, advanced technology -- and within DS9's backyard no less. It just seemed logical that they had been involved in the search and that their failure to find it would have been an old defeat that wouldn't fade -- hence Sisko's 'old ghost' reference.

The loss of a new Intrepid-class on its maiden voyage probably didn't help the class' reputation or construction either. It's like how construction on the Britannic was halted after the Titanic sunk.

As to DS9/VOY character interactions, you're right it was limited to Quark and Harry -- and that's ironically one of the kernels that inspired where I'm taking the story...

[Steve]

Happy to see you posted it. I'll bekeeping an eye on this one.

[FaxModem1]

In that case, please do continue. I'll also be keeping an eye on this one.

[JME2]

Yeah, Steve's been very helpful with refining ideas.

The prologue -- and especially the argument in the second half -- owes a lot to his feedback on the first draft.

[Crazedwraith]

Interesting concept. It makes sense that the Ds9 crew were very interested in VGR's fate considering it's mission was based from DS9. They never really did much of the way of crossovers between series like that, aside from very breifly referencing the Maquis being wiped out.

wondering where you are going with this though, considering their preoccupation with the war as it is can the DS9 crew actually do anything for Voyager? Or is this sort of a look at Voyager through the ds9 crew's eyes?

Interested in more though. I will say, 'Don't fuck with the sisko' is hilarious on SFDebris but it is, like all Chuck's stuff a caricature of how he actually was in the show. I don't think Sisko really launched into big spiels yelling at his crew like that with the fancy similes. But thats just me.

[JME2]

Interesting concept. It makes sense that the Ds9 crew were very interested in VGR's fate considering it's mission was based from DS9. They never really did much of the way of crossovers between series like that, aside from very breifly referencing the Maquis being wiped out.

Yeah, there wasn't much that could be done in the way of crossovers given VOY was set tens of thousands of light years away. Part of me always wished DS9 had made even a passing reference to Voyager's disappearance on their show; it would have been a nice touch.

wondering where you are going with this though, considering their preoccupation with the war as it is can the DS9 crew actually do anything for Voyager? Or is this sort of a look at Voyager through the ds9 crew's eyes?

It's going to be more of the latter. Again, you'll see what I mean when Chapter 1's finished -- and it's coming along nicely. Should be ready in the next few days.

Interested in more though. I will say, 'Don't fuck with the sisko' is hilarious on SFDebris but it is, like all Chuck's stuff a caricature of how he actually was in the show. I don't think Sisko really launched into big spiels yelling at his crew like that with the fancy similes. But thats just me.

Yeah, Sisko's just a little bit out of character...but I love Chuck's take so much that I couldn't resist

As it is, I'm working on a way of making reference to his take on the Defiant (and no, not as the U.S.S. Ben Sisko's Mother F*cking Pimp Hand).

[JME2]

It's a good weekend for more writing.

Disclaimer: Star Trek and Star Trek: The Next Generation created by Gene Roddenberry. Star Trek: Deep Space Nine created by Rick Berman and Michael Piller. Star Trek: Voyager created by Rick Berman, Michael Piller, and Jerri Taylor. Star Trek owned by Viacom. I own the No copyright infringement intended.

Star Trek: DS9/VOY: Journey’s Crossroad

***

Historian’s Note: The chapter opens in the Prime Reality during Season 3 of DS9. It is set shortly after the ending of “Fascination” and concurrently with the beginning of the VOY pilot “Caretaker”.

***

Chapter 1: Comes the Dawn

Deep Space Nine
Stardate 48314 (January 2371 Old Earth Calendar)

With a labored whirr, the Cardassian turbolift cleared the last leg of the ascent towards the Operations Center. Dax and Kira looked up in time to see Commander Sisko rise into view. Even before the lift had locked into place, they could tell that something was wrong. He looked tired and worn -- though they had a pretty good idea or two as to why.

“Commander, are you alright?” asked Kira reflexively.

“I’ll be better in a moment,” said Sisko as he made his way towards the replicator mounted on the far wall. His inaudible mutterings were answered by the familiar hum of a replication-in-progress. Within moments, the aroma of a Raktajino mixed with jacarine peel wafted through Ops. Sisko studied the cup for a moment before taking a long, deep sip.

“I remain indebted to you, Old Man,” Sisko finally said as he smacked his lips. “I can’t imagine a morning without Raktajino anymore.”

“Introducing you to the stuff was quite the accomplishment -- especially considering how you were going on and on about New Orleans coffee,” said Jadzia, smiling. “However, I do recall Curzon warning you that it was addictive.”

“You’re calling the kettle black, Lieutenant. Just how many have you had this morning?” Dax shrugged in response, causing Sisko to look over at Kira. “And what about you, Major?”

Kira pretended to focus on her work console. There was a part of her -- the part still deeply suspicious of non-Bajorans -- that wondered if the Klingons had invented their own coffee to bring alien worlds under heel through caffeine addiction. True, it seemed more like something the Ferengi would, to pardon the pun, cook up. Maybe the Klingons just needed their own pick-me-up before they went out to plunder and pillage.

But if Kira’s hypothesis about the Klingons’ motive was right, then it was a fiendishly clever plan. This part of Kira also deeply regretted Jadzia introducing her to the beverage when Starfleet had arrived at Bajor. Worse, that inner voice was being drowned out by another voice telling it to shut up, thank you very much, and go get another cup of Klingon coffee.

Sisko, who knew the symptoms of Raktajino overconsumption all too well, grinned. “That’s what I thought.”

“Well, you look like you needed it after the weekend we just had,” said Dax.

“What a weekend that was,” Sisko muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose

Several days ago, Laxwanna Troi of Betazed had come aboard the station during DS9’s Third Annual Gratitude Festival. Suffering from Zanthi Fever, the telepath had projected her feelings of affection onto anyone within range during an attack. As a result, those...victims, for lack of a better word, had admitted what they thought were their secret feelings for others.

“You’ll get no argument from me,” Kira chimed in, her cheeks reddening slightly. The memory of the affected Bashir pursuing her was not going to fade anytime soon -- nor was Kira going into the Infirmary if she should help it for the next, oh, month.

“Still,” added Jadzia, “You have to admit it made this year’s Festival memorable -- though it can’t compete with Pelios Station.”

Sisko stopped drinking in mid-sip. He lowered the mug and gave his science officer a look. Jadzia met his gaze and smiled even more sweetly -- which only deepened his scowl. If Jadzia mentioned the dancer, Sisko was going to go up into his office, lock the doors, and mutter a few choice words into his Raktajino.

Sometimes, he wished that the Dax symbiot had suppressed Curzon’s memory of that night. Alternately, he wished that the memory had been lost during transplantation or that the Symbiosis Commission had a loophole that he could exploit in his favor. He treasured his relationship with Dax...but on mornings like this, it irritated him that Curzon was still pushing his buttons from beyond the grave.

Kira watched this entire exchange with amused interest, glad that the attention was off of her. She’d heard Jadzia mention Pelios Station more than once, that it was where her previous host had first met the Commander, and where…well, something had happened. But every time Kira tried to coax the tale out of Jadzia, the Trill would dissolve into laughter.

Still...the Major was determined to get the whole story one of these days. Prophets knew she’d never get it out of the Emissary with that kind of a look on his face.

“So Major,” said Sisko, choosing to ignore Dax and focus on his adjutant. “What’s on the itinerary for today?”

Kira scanned her console. “It’s relatively light, sir. We have a Bolian freighter, the Zuko’mei, unloading a shipment of the seasonal harvest from Basing Se II. Two Militia Craft are returning from patrol and will need refueling and maintenance. Last but not least, the USS Voyager will be docking at around 1200 hours. I’ve already set aside Upper Pylon One for them.”

That last mention caught the Commander’s ear. “The Voyager? Is it Intrepid-class?” he asked.

Kira scanned the readout, calling up the vessel’s specific registry information. “Yes sir,” she confirmed.

“Huh. I’ll be damned. I’d forgotten it would have launched by now.” He leaned back on one of the consoles, lost in thought.

“Sir?” Kira’s expression was confusion and curiosity rolled into one. But it broke Sisko out of his reveries..

“Construction on the Voyager began just before Command assigned me to Bajor,” he explained. “I remember it because the initial order of Intrepid-class ships are all being built at the Utopia Planitia Shipyards. The prototype, the Intrepid, was undergoing her trials around the same time as the Defiant. I got to know her Chief Engineer, Donald Kaplan, quite well.”

Kira nodded, recalling that Sisko had been working at a Federation shipyard before coming to Bajor. She also hadn’t known until several months ago that much of that time had been spent developing what had become the ‘escort frigate’ presently moored at Docking Bay Three. Then she remembered something else.

“Didn’t the Defiant launched from the Antares Ship Yards?” she said. “Or at least, that’s what it says on the plaque.”

“You actually took the time to read that?” asked Dax. “You’d better quiz her on the other names while you can, Benjamin.”

“The Major’s right,” said Sisko, suppressing a chuckle. “But I had to make regular trips from Antares to Earth and back again. UPS usually handles the more advanced ship projects and they provided technical consultation on the Defiant.”

“Then why wasn’t the Defiant actually built there?” asked Kira. She worried that what seemed like a logical and perfectly reasonable question was encroaching on Starfleet protocol and classified trade secrets. But Sisko indulged her.

“Under normal circumstances, they would have built it there,”explained the Commander, sighing. For a moment, Sisko’s face took on a dark look that Kira recognized from those first days on DS9. “But all of UPS’ berths were overwhelmed following the Borg attack of ‘66. So, ASY got the job instead. Anyway, Kaplan was one of UPS’ consultants and that’s how I know him.”

“What did he think of the Defiant?” asked Dax, genuinely curious.

“I believe he summed it up -- in his professional opinion as an engineer -- as being little more than a pair of guns strapped to an engine,” Sisko replied completely deadpan.

“That’s not an inaccurate summation,” Dax noted while Kira actually laughed.

“I told him that was the general idea.” Sisko paused, trying to remember another specific detail of those discussions. “I swear, if he wasn’t talking about the Intrepid’s engines, he was always going on about beating the efficiency rating of some other Chief Engineer in the fleet.”

“Well, you know engineers,” said Dax playfully. “Don’t meddle in their affairs, for they’re subtle and quick to boast about their systems.”

“And if you don’t like it, we can shut off power to your sonic showers,” came a muffled voice. Sisko and Kira turned around in time to see Chief O’Brien extracting himself from one of Ops’ maintenance tubes.

“Good morning, Chief.”

“Morning, sir,” replied O’Brien, wiping his forehead with his sleeve. “I wouldn’t call it good, though.”

“More Voles in the maintenance tubes?” asked Sisko.

“Thank God, no,” said O’Brien as he reached for his own coffee mug. The rodents -- an unavoidable fixture of Cardassian installations -- hadn’t jumped ship when the Occupation ended. They were a recurring headache for O’Brien since they loved to chew on the conduits’ wiring. He considered them his personal nemesis alongside DS9’s computer AI and Bashir -- though the Doctor hadn’t really counted anymore since the Harvester incident.

“You know,” said Kira hesitantly, “Odo was telling me just this morning that he’s not sure we got all of them in the last sweep.”

“That’s what he said about the sweep before that!” exclaimed O’Brien. A pained and frustrated look was spreading across his face. “Where’s my Vole-free station? I was promised a Vole-free station. Why’s the Constable dashing my hopes and dreams for the future?” he all but moaned.

“Odo’s got every right to be weary,” said Dax. “Remember what I said last time: Their reproduction rate makes them the Cardassian equivalent of a Tribble. If we’ve missed even a handful...”

“Well, I wouldn’t worry, Chief. Even if it takes a while, the Constable always gets his man-- err, rodent,” Kira added. Her attempt at reassurance was motivated both by her liking of the Irishman and a desire to find her sonic shower in working condition by the time her shift ended.

“Well anyway, there aren’t any bloody Voles in the conduits today,” O’Brien said darkly. He took a sip from his mug. “It’s that time of the month where I have to update the patch again.”

Since his first days in Ops, O’Brien had grumbled about not being able to find an ODN access port. Federation and Cardassian technology was just simply incompatible. He’d eventually cobbled together a series of patches and workarounds for the station’s key systems. But the components -- especially in Ops -- broke down as quickly as he could replace them.

“Well, we’ll keep an eye out for any Voles while you bring us up to spec, Chief.”

“Much appreciated sir.” O’Brien set his cup down and started to position himself to re-enter the maintenance tube. “Oh, and it was Geordi LaForge.”

Sisko blinked. “Sorry?”

“Commander LaForge of the Enterprise. He’s the one Kaplan has the rivalry with.”

Sisko, Kira, and Dax all stared down at O’Brien, looks of incomprehension mirrored on their faces. The Commander’s mind began racing back to one of the many rounds of boasting or ranting Kaplan had subjected him - or anyone else within range -- to during lulls in the consultation.

“You’re right,” he finally said. “It was Geordi LaForge. You knew about it?”

The Chief cracked a grin. “Of course I know about it. I was on the Enterprise for five years, remember? That rivalry’s been going for a while. I remember the Commander dictating a recorded taunt to Kaplan when he was overseeing an overhaul of my Transporter room one night.”

Sisko smiled softly while Kira shook her head in more amusement.

“Engineers,” Dax repeated. O’Brien’s grin widened as he disappeared through the service tube..

“Well,” began Sisko, “If we’re done discussing Raktajino addiction, engineering rivalries, and Voles --”

“You forgot Pelios Station,” Dax added.

“-- I’ll be in my office,” continued Sisko as he deliberately ignored his science officer. He gripped the railing of the steps with his spare hand and walked to the top level. As the office doors slid open, he looked back down into the pit. “And Major?”

“Yes, Commander?”

“Let me know when the Voyager is on final approach to the station. I want to be there to see it.”

***

To be Continued...

[Burak Gazan]

This, is gonna be good

[JME2]

Yes indeed.

Now everyone can see what I was alluding to in the earlier posts, about the story's direction.

The intention is to retell "Caretaker" from the DS9 POV. Again, it's a chance to fill in some blanks and tie together a number of elements from both DS9 and VOY and even a little TNG (Donald Kaplan from "Force of Nature" is such an example).

Rest assured, I will get back to the time-frame of the prologue -and explore DS9's reactions to the news of VOY's predicament.

But I also wanted to start at the beginning of DS9's intersection with VOY's story before jumping back to the future.

[FaxModem1]

I'm really liking this, it's nice to see other perspectives of events we see. To see the off-screen events that happens.

[JME2]

Thanks. The fun's really going to start once Voyager docks.

As I said earlier, I'm surprised the official literature has never tried to explore the DS9/VOY connection from the pilot.

And while odds are high someone somewhere has probably done a similar fanfic, I still wanted to do my take on that unexplored connection.

[JME2]

Disclaimer: Star Trek and Star Trek: The Next Generation created by Gene Roddenberry. Star Trek: Deep Space Nine created by Rick Berman and Michael Piller. Star Trek: Voyager created by Rick Berman, Michael Piller, and Jeri Taylor. Star Trek: Enterprise created by Rick Berman and Brannon Braga. Star Trek owned by Viacom. This is a work of fanfiction and no copyright infringement is intended.

Star Trek: DS9/VOY: Journey’s Crossroad

***

Chapter 2: Opportunity Honks

(Author’s Note: Yes, that is the chapter title. Keep reading and you’ll understand why.)

For a decade now, Quark had been the owner of Quark's Bar, Grill, Gaming House and Holosuite Arcade (alternately known as Quark's Bar and Holding Company as per the offical Ferengi Alliance business directory). More importantly, he pulled double duty as the establishment’s bartender since he considered himself a people person. He spent his days doling out food and drink, friendly chit chat, and often outright lies to his clientele.

So it was one of those great ironies of the universe that Quark didn’t drink.

That wasn't to say that he was by any means a teetotaler. Quark enjoyed a nightcap or a libation following a hard won negotiation as much as the next Ferengi. But he wasn’t a heavy drinker like, say, Morn -- though Quark thanked the Blessed Exchequer daily for the barfly’s continued patronage. He may not shut up, but at least the Lurian kept the latinum coming.

No, Quark just wasn’t a regular drinker. But his aversion to frequent alcohol consumption wasn’t an exercise in thriftiness (well, not entirely). It was more a display of savviness and pragmatism. The discovery of the Bajoran Wormhole had turned the onetime Terok Nor into a pivotal hotspot in the Alpha Quadrant. With all the agendas and special interest groups converging on the station, you had to be alert for any and all opportunities.

There was the additional hurdle of DS9’s security chief, who could infiltrate clandestine meetings with frightening ease -- like that fiasco with the Miradorn twins two years back. A shapeshifting nemesis meant Quark had additional reasons not to overindulge. Though he’d never admit it to Odo, the Constable had forced him to stay sharp and up his game in order to conduct the occasional shady deal or two or three hundred.

This morning was no exception. The morning shift had barely begun at the Bar when a familiar voice said, “Well, you’re in a jolly mood.”

The bartender looked up to see Odo strut through the ground floor entrance. He still hadn’t gotten used to the higher tunic collar the Constable had added to his daily ‘attire’ just after the Odyssey Incident. Quark and his idiot brother been wondering what had prompted the modification. Maybe Garak’s tailoring barbs had finally taken hold in that metamorphic brain of his.

“Of course I’m jolly, Odo,” Quark replied while reaching for a glass to clean. It was...odd that the Constable was stopping by to play ‘Harass the Ferengi’ much earlier than usual. It set off warning klaxons in Quark’s head when Odo deviated from his routine. But he was here now and there was nothing Quark could do about it -- except annoy his nemesis.

“We just celebrated the Third Annual Gratitude festival,” he continued. “It’s a time to be grateful.”

“And what would a second-rate, petty scoundrel like yourself have to be grateful for?”

Quark sighed theatrically, “There you go again with the name-calling, Odo. You know, on Ferenginar, I could file a lawsuit for such outrageous libel.”

“Thankfully, we’re not in the Ferengi Alliance,” Odo replied. “We’re in Bajoran space, which means I can file charges if the opportunity presents itself.”

“But you won’t because you can’t,” Quark shot back. “I haven’t done anything illegal --”

Odo rolled his eyes and harrumphed.

“ -- in years,” finished Quark without missing a beat. Really, who needed Raktajino when you had Odo coming by to annoy you and fire up those neural synapses? “Tell you what? In the spirit of interspecies cooperation and a demonstration of my capacity for honesty --”

The Constable harrumphed even louder this time.

“-- I’ll tell you what I’m grateful for,” Quark said, deliberately ignoring the running commentary from the other side of the counter. “Firstly, I’m grateful that my Quadrotriticale futures and antimonium options are still intact.”

““Don’t stop now,” Odo remarked. “You have me hanging on your every word.”

“Secondly, I’m also grateful that the Promenade Merchants Association renewed my membership. And thirdly --”

“Oh don’t tell me: You’ve saved the best for last, that you’re grateful you're not in a holding cell?”

“And I’m grateful that we haven’t been blown to the Divine Treasury by the Jem’Hadar in the last six months,” finished Quark. However he instantly regretted mentioning the Dominion’s foot soldiers. It brought back memories of that Gamma Quadrant camping trip from hell that had kicked off this mess.

He also didn’t know if Odo was still carrying a grudge over the Jem’Hadar infant fiasco. Really, how was he supposed to know the wreckage his associate had sold him included a Dominion maturation unit?

“Anyway,” Quark said hurriedly, “What does an inflexible, overzealous security chief like yourself have to be grateful for?”

Odo ignored this attempt to probe the inner workings of his life. “Should I assume your gratitude has nothing to do with the fact that Mrs. O’Brien has left the station for Bajor?”

“Uh,” Quark winced and stopped cleaning the mug. “You know, that wasn’t my fault.”

“For once?” Odo asked, his voice completely deadpan. Quark’s annoyance surged.

“You know damn well I was manipulated against my will!”

Thank the Divine Treasury... correction, thank Commander Sisko and Dr. Bashir for proving that he wasn’t in control of his actions during the Gratitude Festival. It was some empathic trickery courtesy of Laxwanna Troi that had caused him to confess ‘feelings’ for Keiko O’Brien. His lobes still ached where her husband had grabbed him.

“That may well be, but has the Chief accepted it? I don’t think I’ve seen him walking down the Promenade in his kayaking gear all weekend,” replied Odo. “You may have to find someone else to pay for the privilege of paddling in your holosuites.”

Quark was about to shoot off a biting remark when a burning smell started to waft through the Bar. The Ferengi’s eyes widened as he realized what it was. He instantly turned around in the direction of the storeroom.

“Rom and Nog, you idiots! Watch those eggs!” he shouted. “They’re burning like a desert world orbiting a binary star!”

“Yes, brother!” came the muffled voice of Rom. Qaurk also thought he heard something that sounded like a curse coming from his idiot brother’s son.

“Eggs? Since when do you serve eggs in this Bar?” asked Odo.

“Odo, “ sighed Quark, “You’ve been coming into my establishment for how many years now? The sign outside -- the one with the really big lettering -- says Quark’s Bar and Grill among other things. Maybe you should shapeshift a pair of corrective lenses for yourself.”

“And what made you suddenly decided to put eggs on your menu? Are the Replimat and Klingon restaurant putting that much of a dent in your precious profits?”

“Hardly. I’m just experimenting, that’s all,” Quark explained. “The inaugural hot plate special is a Ktarian omelette. And I’m talking about the real stuff, not some duplicated swill from the Replimat or whatever passes for Klingon fried eggs,” he added proudly. “They’re made with authentic Ktarian goose eggs.”

“Really?” If Odo had possessed an eyebrow, he’d have cocked it right there and then. “And how did you manage to get your hands on Ktarian goose eggs? I thought the bottom fell out of the market for Ktarian exports after that attempted gaming coup.”

The current volatility in the Ktarian markets had been precipitated by the actions of renegades three years earlier. They had tried to seize control of the Federation Starfleet by using a game which made the user susceptible to Ktarian suggestion.They hadn’t even made it to Level 2 before the conspiracy was neutralized. While the Ktarian government had claimed no knowledge of the renegades’ plans, it hadn’t stopped many of their trading partners and allies from distancing themselves from Ktar.

““Markets rise and fall, yet the Great Material Continuum provides for able entrepreneurs for me,” Quark shot back.

“Most markets don’t put out addictive games that increase mental susceptibility to outside suggestion,” Odo countered.

“Yeah, well the Ktarians have nothing on the hew-mons,” he said. “I overheard the Chief before the Festival going on about some gaming phenomenon that gripped Earth’s youth centuries ago. They called it a Massively Multiplayer Onlink something or other.”

“You still haven’t answer my question,” continued Odo, his voice now dripping with suspicion. “Where did you get fresh Ktarian goose eggs? They’re notoriously difficult to transport, even with stasis technology.”

“Oh, I have my ways,” Quark said slyly. Odo just stared at him and the Ferengi quickly realized the unintended implications of his phrasing.

“I mean legal ways, Odo! Gargh, why do you always assume the worst of me?”

“Do I really need to answer that?” Odo asked. “You’ve violated the longstanding regulation about importing livestock to this station, haven’t you?”

“This is ridiculous, Odo!” Quark protested. “I mean, really! Are you implying that I fooled Customs and snuck a Ktarian goose into my back room at the crack of dawn?”

It was, as Quark later reflected, another of those universal ironies -- not to mention an inopportune moment to use a suspiciously specific denial as misdirection.

The words had barely left the Ferengi’s mouth when a crash erupted from the back of the Bar. Odo and Quark turned in unison just in time to see a Ktarian goose come richotechting out of the storeroom. Honking rapidly, it tried to take flight and reach the second level. However, Rom was close on the heels of the free range poultry.

Demonstrating a feat of acrobatics and agility that one normally wouldn’t associate with a Ferengi, Rom dove and tackled the bird. The two rolled away from the Bar and off into distance before crashing into one of the dabo tables. The gaming apparatus teetered for a moment before tilting sideways and falling over. The impact of the crash caused Rom to lose his hold on the goose. The bird began to take flight again --

-- only to be blasted by Nog, who had followed his father out of the storeroom and was wielding the Ferengi equivalent of a stun gun. The recoil knocked Nog back into one of the tables while the bird collapsed to the ground unconscious, spread-eagled, and smoking.

Odo looked down at the Ktarian goose, then turned his gaze back to a visibly sweating Quark.

“I believe your goose is cooked,” he said dryly.

***

It took about ten minutes of reading Quark the riot act and predicting the Magistrate’s inevitable fine before Odo finally left the Bar. He’d also had had to wait for Bashir to stop by with a miniature statis unit in tow. For all his medical brilliance, the Doctor wasn’t a veterinarian and could only do a basic treatment and analysis. The goose was fine, but it was now in medical stasis until they could figure out how to deal with it.

Odo needed the bird alive as evidence for this latest insane stunt of Quark’s. He was trying to remain focused this, on the excitement of the morning and the satisfaction of taking the wind out of his Ferengi nemesis’ solar sails. He was doing everything he could to block out his last exchange with Laxwanna Troi when he had seen her off at the airlock...

”I hope everything works out for you, Odo. With Major Kira...Your secret is safe with me. After all, I know what it's like to be attracted to someone who doesn't necessarily feel the same way.”

The Daughter of the Fifth House of Betazed had proven more observant than he would have expected. She had guessed about his latent feelings for Nerys, which had added to the bad mood he’d been in after seeing the Major and Vedek Bareil together during the Festival. That was at the core of why he had harassed Quark earlier than usual.

He’d heard some of DS9’s Starfleet officers mention an Earth term called schadenfreude and had subsequently looked it up. It translated into Bajoran as feeling pleasure at other people’s misfortune. He couldn’t argue with that because almost nothing cheered him up quite like busting Quark.

However, the Changeling’s buoyed mood began to fall when Odo saw the balding form of Lieutenant Commander Michael Eddington coming down the Promenade.

Unlike his predecessor Lt. George Primmin, Odo had not yet buried the hatchet with Starfleet Security’s second attache to DS9. Of course, that had been accomplished last time while in pursuit of a body-hopping Kobliad criminal. He and Eddington hadn’t exactly shared that kind of bonding experience and Odo still didn’t have a good sense of the Lieutenant Commander. He also still didn’t like what he represented.

Yet Odo was stuck with Eddington for the indeterminable future. The influence Sisko had used to allay Starfleet’s concerns during Primmin’s tenure had evaporated following the eruption of the Maquis Crisis and the Odyssey Incident. Starfleet Command didn’t trust him and while he’d threatened to resign again...well, that threat no longer carried any weight after what had happened in the Omarion Nebula.

Odo sighed inwardly. What he would never have told Quark was that he was grateful that he had a home here on the station. Yes, he had found his people at last and he longed to return to the Great Link. But...he just couldn’t ignore that they were responsible for the creation of an empire that had inflicted suffering on an entire Quadrant -- an act of subjugation that, he feared, would someday be repeated on this side of the Wormhole.

“Commander,” Odo said somewhat stiffly, though he inclined his head.

“Constable,” replied Eddington as he closed the distance between them. He looked over Odo’s shoulder. “I take it from the look on Quark’s face that you’ve brought him to justice at long last?”

“I wish,” said Odo, who couldn’t help harumphing. “I believe this is the first time I’ll have written a security report about illegal poultry smuggling on this station.”

Eddington stared at him, then looked back at Quark, “I’m almost embarrassed to ask this, but should it be considered a matter for DS9’s Starfleet security?”

“Not really,” said the Changeling, his mood further souring at the mention of Eddington's masters. “He tried smuggling a Ktarian goose through Customs, that’s all. You’ll be able to read the report by the end of the day. I’ve threatened to throw Quark in a holding cell for good measure, too.”

“Good,” observed Eddington. “If he’s as angry as he seems, it’ll keep him distracted and off-balance.”

Odo gave Eddington a look. “Distracted?” he echoed. “Is there something going on that affects station security?” he asked, placing emphasis on his jurisdiction rather than Eddington’s. “Something I should know about?”

Eddigton stared at Odo for a long moment before gesturing for the Constable to follow him. As soon as they were out of range of Quark’s, he said quietly, “I take it you’ve seen the list of inbound ships for today?”

“Of course,” replied Odo, annoyed that Eddington would think he wouldn’t read something so simple and essential to station security. “I saw it when I gave Major Kira the morning security report.”

“Then you saw that the USS Voyager is docking at 1200 hours?”

“I did. What of it?” Odo almost snapped. Eddington took another glance back in the direction of Quark’s Bar.

“The Voyager just launched. It’s Intrepid-class,” he finally responded.

“And why is that significant?”

“Because it’s a new Starfleet design, which means it’s state of the art and cutting edge with all the latest silver bells and whistles.”

Odo met his gaze. He didn’t understand Eddington’s reference to bells and whistles, but he thought he grasped what the Lieutenant Commander was trying to get at: Eddington was afraid that such features would attract the attention of an opportunistic rodent like a certain infuriated bartender.

“Look, Odo,” continued Eddington, “I know you don’t like me and that you haven’t since Commander Sisko brought me back here. But I’m just doing my job. And my concern is the same as yours: the safety of DS9. My focus just happens to be on the Starfleet side of things.”

Odo said nothing.

“But I’m not going to deny that you have a better handle on Quark, his methods, and his associates than I do,” continued Eddington. “And in light of what happened with the Defiant...I don’t want to see another breach of security like that, especially with such an advanced ship. I hope that we could at least try to keep each other in the loop regarding matters of...mutual security concerns,” he finished, nodding in the direction of Quark’s.

Odo remained silent, processing this unexpected heart-to-heart. He was surprised to hear this coming from Eddington of all people. Mulling it over, he supposed Eddington’s mention of the Defiant explained this attempt at peacemaking. The Maquis may have hijacked the ‘escort frigate’ from a Bajoran space station...but the operation had hinged largely on bypassing Starfleet security systems and protocols.

Odo knew that the unique method the Maquis had employed had been completely unanticipated. So he and Eddington had not been reprimanded for the breach by Sisko or Starfleet. He hadn’t realized -- though he should have guessed -- just how embarrassed the Lieutenant Commander was at the ease with which Thomas Riker had managed to make off with the most heavily armed warship in the region.

“I always an eye on Quark, Commander,” Odo finally said. “But...I’ll let you know if he does anything...foolish.”

Quark was no Rao Vantika. But as Odo had with Primmin two years earlier, maybe he could learn to work with Eddington after all.

***

From the Bar’s vending window which overlooked the Promenade, Quark watched Odo and Eddington exchange a few more words before they went their separate ways.

“Silly hew-mons,” sighed the bartender almost wistfully. “Do you think just because you moved out of hearing range that I can’t read your lips?”

This was one of those aforementioned examples of why he kept his ears and eyes open-- and also argued in favor of lip reading being added to any young Ferengi’s official educational curriculum. He too kept an eye on all incoming ships, but he hadn’t realized that this Voyager was such a hot item.

Even if he couldn’t get a look at that hardware -- and the chances weren’t good given it looked liked Eddington and Odo were working together for once -- the ship had just launched from a Federation spacedock. So it would very likely be a ship full of eager young Ensigns and enlisted personnel who -- he hoped -- wouldn’t know a Ferengi swindle when they saw one.

Reaching beneath the counter, Quark pulled out that case of worthless Lobi crystals Morn had dumped on him from one of his recent trading runs to the Volnar Colony. If he could rip off an Ensign or two, it would certainly help offset the loss he was taking from the Katarian goose fine. And if he could manage to pull a fast one over both Odo and Eddington, so much the better.

***

“Thank you, Odo. I really appreciate this.”

Bidding the Constable good day, Eddington strolled down the Promenade towards the nearest turbolift. He was satisfied that he had Odo convinced of his attempted rapprochement. He was finding that for all his cunning, Odo was easy to manipulate if you knew which button to hit. Here, Eddington had takem advantage of the longstanding antipathy between the Constable and the Ferengi.

To do his job propery, he needed to be aware of any and all developments on the station. That included being on Odo’s good side since the Constable had been here much longer and had...unique talents in the security business. Eddington also knew, however, that Odo resented his presence. It ultimately was better to try to extend a laurel branch in the hops

However, this was not just for reasons of law and order.

As DS9’s Chief of Starfleet security, he had access to information that Odo did not have. He knew, for instance, that the Voyager’s flight plan had been suddenly changed in the last two weeks. The ship was supposed to have taken a shakedown cruise past Theta Cygni. Yet it had suddenly and without warning been reassigned to the Demilitarized Zone. Given the advanced sensor capabilities the Intrepid-class ships were outfitted with, Eddington thought he knew why.

But the ship’s orders were classified and above his clearance -- which was telling in of itself. As DS9’s Chief of Starfleet security, Sisko kept him in the loop on any major DMZ developments which could affect station security. So, he had to take advantage of the available resources -- in this instance, Odo’s investigative abilities and Quark’s greed -- to gather the information he needed for his real job.

Before he shot off any kind of warning to Cal Hudson and the Maquis, Eddington needed to confirm, without any doubt, why the Voyager was coming to Deep Space 9.

***

To Be Continued...

[Steve]

Mmmmm.... cooked goose....

[JME2]

As I said in my PM, once the image of Quark and the goose popped into my head, I knew I had to include it. It was just too funny.

[FaxModem1]

By any chance, are Ktarian geese eggs golden?

[JME2]

Heh, not for Quark.

Edit: I had a ball writing this chapter. Odo's my favorite DS9 main character so I naturally love the snark-to-snark combat between the Constable and Quark.

I considered not having Quark appear until Harry walks into the Bar (and we will see the con attempt from Quark's POV). But I thought it would be more fun to give a semi-explanation as to why he was trying to fleece a Starfleet ensign.

I was also planning to hold off on revealing Eddington's Maquis affiliation until after Voyager departs. In terms of on-screen canon, we don't know how long he had been working for the Maquis. If we're going by the Novel-verse, then he had been passing on intel since at least the time-frame of "Caretaker".

But Eddington's attempt at burying the hatchet with Odo wasn't sitting right for me and I realized it worked better to reveal this subtext now rather than later.

Eddington's also one of my favorite of DS9's secondary characters, so I want to use him as the primary Maquis POV.