Fic: False Dawn 1/1 Magnificent Seven/StarTrek DS9 fusion
Title: False Dawn Author: Lopaka Tanu Disclaimer: I do not own Magnificent Seven or Deep Space 9. Characters: Ensemble Words: 8305 Prompt: Crossover/AU - April Challenge Fandom: Magnificent Seven/Deep Space 9 Pairing: Chris/Buck, Vin/Ezra, mentioned Chris/(Jadzia Buck) Rating: Adult Warnings: Language, Violence, Summary: Six days ago, life for several people at Four Corners Station came to an end. Today, all that changes. Author's Note: Buck's a Symbiot, and that's only the beginning. ______________________________________
Rising from the table, the Vorta twisted her hands. When her three Jem'Hadar guards noticed the action, she quickly placed them behind her back. "What we need is calm now. The last thing anyone wants is war between the Dominion and the Federation." She jumped when someone slammed a hand on the table.
Chris leaned forward in his chair. His hand smarted from smacking the table, but he wasn't going to let that show. "The last thing? Your butchers murdered four of my people, injuring six others, and you come here telling me to be calm?"
"Chris." Putting a hand on the Commander's shoulder, Admiral Travis shook his head once. This wasn't going to happen, not on his watch. He waited until Chris sat back before speaking. "The Vorta is correct. Cooler heads must prevail after this incident or nothing will ever be resolved." Despite his words, Travis was glaring at the Dominion representatives.
"Of course." There was a moment when the second Vorta seemed about to say something more, but she turned to her companion instead. The look she gave the other made the first's back straighten.
Resuming her seat, the first Vorta reached up and absently pushed a curl behind her ear. "We are prepared to make reparations for the actions of those..." She looked to her companion for support.
The second Vorta's lips tightened, but remained smiling.
A tremor ran through the first Vorta. Placing her hands on the table, she clutched them together. She stared at her hands to remain calm. "I take full responsibility for the actions of my Jem'Hadar and am prepared to surrender myself to your judicial system."
"Not good enough." Having sat there watching the two with interest, Chris scowled over the response. "You ordered the deaths of my people! I want..."
"We're not here for what you want!" Finally having had enough, the Admiral turned on Chris. Facing his chair to the Commander, he leaned in. "I am not going to let you plunge us in to any..." He was silenced by the sound of a boding hitting the floor.
All heads turned to face the two Vorta, one now lying lifeless on the deck plates.
The second Vorta nodded to the Jem'Hadar standing over the body to back up. When he did, she rose from her chair. "Her entire detachment has committed suicide. I trust this solves any grievances between us." Instead of looking to the Admiral, she faced Chris. At his nod, she smiled. "Her body is yours."
The Jem'Hadar straightened at attention. By the time the Federation guards had their weapons drawn, the entire Dominion party disappeared in a transporter beam.
For several minutes, Admiral Travis stared in the spot the Dominion had occupied. His eyes kept steadily away from the body on the deck. Eventually, he shook his hand. "Stand down."
Given the order, the security officers nodded and lowered their weapons.
Chris continued to stare at the dead Vorta. A central part of him felt numb to the actions, but relief slowly filtered through. Tugging on his uniform, he sighed.
"You're dismissed, Commander." Travis refused to look up. There was nothing more to say.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Meeting the Commander outside the turbolift exit on the promenade, Major Jakon's grin was almost feral. His straight black hair fell across his eyes, catching on his nose ridge. With a growl of annoyance, he pushed it out of his eyes. "How did it go? I heard maintenance was called to remove a body."
Stepping off the lift, Chris took a moment to compose his thoughts. He sidestepped a waiting Bolian and continued out in to the promenade proper. After a time, he shook his head. "She's dead."
"I figured as much. And considering you're not in leg irons, I am assuming the rumors about the Dominion's regard for its people is well founded." Jakon matched the Commander's step, rounding a pillar. As they walked further, the normal crowds became visible.
"I guess so." Coming to the center of the promenade, Chris took the stairs down to the lower level. Several passing Bajorans smiled and nodded his way before continuing on. Ordinarily, he would have returned their acknowledgements, but today he wasn't in the mood for their religious crap.
Jakon noticed this, but held his tongue. He knew how the Commander was feeling these days. The attack had left them all reeling from the vicious surprise. Speaking of which, he picked up his pace. "The U.S.S. Conestoga will be arriving this afternoon with your new temporary Science Officer. Emphasis on temporary." He left out who they would be replacing.
"Oh?" That caused Chris to slow his pace. Well, that and the fact they had arrived at the infirmary. Stopping in the entrance, he faced the Major for the first time. "What's she like?"
"He. A Vulcan to be exact." Jakon grinned at the Commander's deadpan expression. There were days he regretted taking this post, but today wasn't one of them. "He was on his way to Vulcan for six weeks leave when your Admiralty decided to reroute him here."
"Wonderful, a pissed Vulcan. Make sure he knows about our situation before he docks." With that settled, he placed his hands on his hips. "Any thing else?"
That removed any amusement from the situation Jakon was deriving. "The Romulans, Klingons, and the Cardassians are demanding a moment of the Admiral's time at his earliest convenience. Admiral Travis decided you would be the best one to deal with their questions since you were there." There were times when his height was no advantage over the Commander, now was one of them.
Instead of verbally replying, Chris nodded.
Taking that as a dismissal, Jakon nodded his salute, then headed back for the turbolift. He wasn't looking forward to speaking with any of the representatives. So he wouldn't. He'd send them a text response and contact the Conestoga himself. Now smiling, he joined three other Bajorans on the lift.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chris hesitated at the entrance to the Infirmary. There was something holding him back, but his guilt in the matter had never been defined. As the commanding officer, it was his responsibility to keep watch over his crew. He should have anticipated the attack, but there had been no warning of any kind.
One moment they were surveying a planet for resources then the next half his team were down. No matter how he looked at it, invisible hostile aliens impervious to scans had not been something he had counted on. That mistake had cost him four very good people, including... He would not think about her.
Pulling on his uniform top, he steeled himself and entered the Infirmary proper. There were nurses going from room to room, checking on the patients. More than he had seen since his arrival two years before, their number had never registered to him.
JD must have his hands full.
That thought brought Chris up short. One of those patients was his Medical Officer. The kid was barely old enough to handle a phaser and shouldn't have been on the mission. If Jadzia hadn't pestered him in to giving JD experience, he would be the one running the nurses ragged.
Thinking of her brought a spasm in his chest. He had to clutch at a nearby console to keep his balance. Gasping for breath, Chris shook off the hand of a concerned nurse. He would be fine in a minute. Finally, he was able to bring his body's panic reactions under control and stand on his own.
Moving on his own power, he glared the nurses in to submission. Chris walked slowly in to the patient wing where he knew JD would be. The kid would most likely be running tests from his beside console instead of resting like he should be.
Just as Chris had known, JD was hard at work at a console, but it was a swing arm draped over his lap. He was laid in the bed, but sitting up. JD was concentrating so hard on the screen, he didn't hear Chris until his console was shut off. Looking up to yell at the person, he paled at the sight of a haggard Chris. "Commander. Forgive me, sir, but you look like hell warmed over."
That earned a snort. Chris pushed the console out of JD's reach before taking its place on the bedside. He ran a hand over the sutures reattaching JD's arm to his shoulder. As he traced the healing scars, he could hear the Doctor's cry in his mind. A single blade stroke was all it had taken.
Uncomfortable with the attention, JD used his reattached hand to pat Chris on the arm. "It's fine, everything is back in working order. Better, in fact, with the implants." His reassurances had no effect on the Commander checking him over. From his shoulder down over his chest to the scars that were no longer there. "I'm fine, sir."
Satisfied that it was the truth, Chris took his hand away. There would be another day for the young man. "The bitch is dead. All of them."
Chris didn't have to say who for JD to understand. He knew very well that they were on the station. "I despatched a medical team to recover the body. In fact, I was looking over the preliminary scans for the later dissection."
"Good." Chris patted him on the good shoulder. "I want a copy of the visual record."
"Aye, Commander." JD sat there looking at him for an awkward second before clearing his throat. Grin returning, he thumped Chris on the leg. "I hear there is going to be a Vulcan on the station before nightfall. That should be something new, I haven't had the chance to study one in person yet. At the academy, there were two in my class, but they refused to volunteer for anatomical comparison. Which is a shame, because I've always wondered how close the genetic gap between them and the Romulans is."
Chris was suddenly laughing. The situation was too fucking ridiculous. Letting his head fall to his chest, he continued to chuckle silently. When he was through, he looked up at the sadly smiling JD. When he was certain the Doctor was okay, he nodded to himself and stood up. "I'll send word for him to come down here for a complete physical when he arrives."
"Thanks!" Grin a mile wide, JD was practically vibrating. "Can you swing my console over? Doctor Samnera threatened to cut my feet off if I tried to get out of bed again."
"Sure." With a heavy sigh, Chris returned the console arm back to its previous position. Unable to stand the sight of his failure, but unwilling to leave his injured crewman, he glanced about the room. There was only one bed in this room, and for that, he was grateful.
"Thanks." JD watched him for a moment longer. When it seemed there would be no more talk, he activated the console again.
Chris' calm badge chirped. Pressing it, he sighed with relief. "Chris."
"Sir, we have a situation here." Major Jakon's voice was tense. "A Cardassian Galor Class battle cruiser just arrived and their demanding to speak with you."
Taking a deep breath, Chris shook his head. There just didn't seem to be enough time to deal with everything in one day. "I'm on my way."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Standing on the second level of his bar, Ezra flipped a strip of latinum over his knuckles. He was busy watching the entrance of the Infirmary. Ever since the Commander had darkened the promenade with his presence fifteen minutes earlier, he had been watching. There were some interesting rumors going round the station since the attack. If he watched the Commander long enough, he would have confirmation or negation of them.
Then, the real fun could begin.
As if summoned by his thoughts, a dark presence appeared behind him.
Ezra reached up with his unoccupied hand and picked up his drink. Sipping it slowly, he continued to watch the infirmary, not acknowledging the person behind him.
Eventually, the figure walked around to block Ezra's path. Crossing his arms, the Changeling tried to catch the man's gaze. Failing, he leaned over the table. "I know what you're planning, brother. It wouldn't do your already flagging business any good to have you behind a forcefield in my holding cells."
Giving in with a exhalation of annoyance, Ezra glanced up at the Changeling's face. "Haven't you any ruins to haunt, Josah? I hear there's this lovely old temple in Recantha Provence looking for a spook to attract tourists."
Josah snorted. "Quark was a better foe. I don't even have to try to catch you."
"How's that working out for you?" Sipping the drink again, Ezra took his time. He didn't need to see to know when Chris came out, he had the promenade bugged with sensors. His earpiece would let him know. "And, if I'm not mistaken, it is he that is sitting in a Bajoran prison and I who now owns this lovely establishment."
Shaking his head, Josah let this go. There would be other times to catch the gambler. Right now, there were other things to worry about. With the increase in traffic due to the recent discovery of the Dominion, he had more important measures to put in place. Still, he had to let the resident scum know he was there, watching.
His earpiece vibrated against his skull, alerting him to Chris' exiting the Infirmary. Standing up, Ezra looked passed Josah. The Commander was no longer scowling at everything, but he didn't look happy either. Making a sound of appreciation, Ezra pulled a padd from his vest pocket and marked down the observations.
Seeing and hearing the padd, Josah frowned. This was not something he had been aware of. May be he would have to watch more after all.
Putting the padd back before the Changeling got any ideas, Ezra raised his drink in salute. "Is there something I may assist you with?" It felt like a challenge, but he kept his expression and tone to an even curious.
Josah shook his head. It wasn't worth the effort today. He was at a disadvantage here and would only find more confusion as he pressed further. He turned to go, watching Ezra watch him. This was definitely going to haunt him for the next few weeks.
Waving, he walked to the stairs that led down in to his bar. "Please come back around any time, Josah."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chris didn't wait for the lift to come to a complete stop before he stepped off. The tension in Ops was easily felt, especially to his already too sensitive nerves. He glanced over to his second officer's console and found it empty. The pain was instant and staggering.
Some how, Chris made it to the Major's post without falling. Leaning too heavily against it, he forced his vision to remain unwavering. Chris grit his teeth as he looked up at the dark skinned Bajoran. "Report, Major!"
"The Cardassians decided not to wait for your earliest convenience." Jakon's words were punctuated with a sour note. Even his worry for the physical state of his commanding officer was not enough to temper his disgust. "Gul Royal is waiting in your office, sir."
The attack having passed, Chris nodded once. He ignored the concerned looks of the other station personnel and continued up the stairs to his office. As the doors opened, the ridged face of its former occupant turned to face him. Chris marched over to his desk, tugging on his uniform top. The damned thing never seemed long enough, almost as if the tailors designed it that way.
"Ah, Commander, how good to see you again. I was just admiring the changes you've made to the place since I was here last. Very bold statement." Gul Royal gestured at the almost Spartan room with his hands. In his left he held a small, golden locket.
Chris didn't bother asking. Reaching out, he took his locket from the Cardassian and set it back in the stand on his desk. "Either state your business or get the hell out."
"Really, Commander, such manners." Royal sighed. He did enjoy tugging on the human's chain so very much. This one was even better to tease than that oh so entertaining Bajoran that considered itself a soldier. When he noticed Chris was clutching the desk's edge, he smirked. "Very well. My government has sent me to interrogate you personally about what really happened out there in the Gamma Quadrant. It seems they weren't fully satisfied with what you told them when we rescued you. I tried telling them you wouldn't..."
Chris held up the phaser, aiming directly for Gul Royal's forehead. "Get out."
"Commander, surely." Royal swallowed as Chris dialed up the setting to disintegrate. "Ah, I see you are serious. As you will, Commander. I will wait until you are more amenable. Until then, you can find me on the promenade since I plan on sticking around for a few days anyways."
"Fine." He watched the Cardassian offer him a smartass salute then leave. Chris didn't lower the weapon until the Gul was no longer visible through his office doors. Dropping the weapon back in to his desk drawer, he slammed it shut with more force than necessary. When that didn't do it for him emotionally, he kicked the drawer several times.
By the time he was finished kicking the shit out of his desk, he was slicked with sweat and his heart was racing. Spots started to appear before his eyes and he fell back in his chair to calm down. Chris rubbed the sweat from his palms on to his uniform before he wiped it from his eyes. The office was entirely too stuffy for him, he had to get out of there.
Rising to his feet, he tried to remain standing, but his abdomen hurt too much. When he looked down, he found his fingers tracing along a line that wasn't there any more. Closing his eyes, Chris fought back the rising level of nausea. It was okay, it was fine, things would be okay.
No it wasn't!
Jadzia was gone. Sarah was gone. Adam was gone. Curzon was gone. Everyone was fucking dead, while the Universe pretended like it didn't matter and went on without them. It was just so god damned unfair that in an age where technology and peace created such prosperity that he should lose everyone he ever cared about.
Blinking through the angry tears, Chris watched out his port hole. As if with the swelling in his chest cresting, the wormhole erupted open. Chris cried out, the pain becoming too much for him to remain quiet. Closing his eyes, he shut out the rest of the world.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Watching through the portholes like almost every other denizen of the promenade, Ezra felt his chest tighten at the sight. Blocking out the stars from above, the U.S.S. Conestoga was an impressive sight to behold. It wasn't every day a ship the size of a city docked at Four Corners Station. At three-fourths the width, the ship dwarfed the station proper and prevented any other ships from docking in the upper pylons.
Ezra instinctively braced himself against a pillar as the ship slowed almost to a halt. A second later, the entire station shook as the two met. Cries rang out, but were drowned out by the cry of metal clanging against metal. Wincing, Ezra regretted not having thought about that part.
When the tremors had stopped and the last echoes died down, people began to murmur amongst themselves. For the first time in over two years, a Galaxy Class starship was here. With only four remaining in service, it wasn't an every day occurrence even among the Federation worlds. Ezra frowned, that wasn't correct. It had only been a month ago, but the loss of the Enterprise had been forgotten.
That meant the ship above them was even more rare.
If the rumors about its cargo were true, then the ship above him was invaluable. Smile in place, Ezra turned back to his bar. There would be an influx of StarFleet personnel soon and his establishment was the finest in the system.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Standing at the airlock, watching as the massive wheel shaped door rolled back, Major Jakon felt a thrill of sick dread run through him.
A short time later, a flood of Federation citizens came out of the airlock. Most were dressed in the StarFleet uniforms, their colors denoting their profession. Among those stood out in stark contrast were three red uniforms. Drawing Jakon's attention, they came out to stand directly in front of him.
He nodded as the younger of the three saluted him. "Welcome to Four Corners Station. I'm Major Jakon of the Bajoran Militia. Commander Larabee wishes he could meet you, but he is currently indisposed at the moment." As he finished speaking, he put out his hand to the man with four pips on his collar.
Accepting the offered hand, the man shook it. "Captain Will Richmond. These are my first officer, Commander Linklighter, and my third officer, Lieutenant Commander Halloway." He gestured to the two men accompanying him.
Halloway eagerly accepted Jakon's hand, pumping it with great force and enthusiasm. "Nice to meet you! I've read everything I could get my hands on about Bajor and your struggle to regain your independence. Very inspiring!" Unaware of the discomfort he was causing with his words, he continued to shake Jakon's hand. His grin was suddenly dampened by a hand upon his shoulder. Turning to face the Commander, Halloway pinked and backed away.
Taking his turn, Linklighter shook Jakon's hand twice then let go. "It is a pleasure to meet you. There has been much made of your station over the past week." The look he gave Jakon spoke of what he thought of everything.
"I see." Not so subtly wiping his hand on his pants, Jakon turned his attention back to the Captain. "We offer your crew the full use of our amenities, only asking that you abide by Bajoran Laws."
"Of course, I've had my crew brush up on the old texts once I learned where we were going. Speaking of which, there's the whole reason why we're here." The Captain stepped back to glance over the airlock. Not seeing what he was searching for, he frowned. "That blasted Vulcan. I've barely seen hide nor hair of him since we picked him up."
"Perhaps he's meditating," Halloway quipped to the other two men. A short second later, all three burst in to laughter. Shaking his head, he swiped at the air. "I'm terrible. No, no. Seriously, I think he's meditating." Turning back to Jakon, he tried to explain. "Every time I've asked him, that's all he says. Personally, I have a theory he's mast..."
"Lieutenant Commander!" Richmond's shout silenced the Lieutenant Commander and half the corridor. Glaring at the young officer, he cracked his knuckles. "Now is not the time or place to go in to such things. Why don't you see what is keeping our guest."
Saluting the Captain, Halloway nodded. "Yes, sir. Right away!" Shooting off back in to the airlock, he disappeared.
Shaking his head, Captain Richmond felt the need to meet the Major's gaze. "I'm sorry for that. He is still new to his rank and forgets himself at times." He exhaled slowly, sharing a smile with Jakon. He waited until the flow of people came to a halt before stepping in closer to the Major. "I'm afraid that our visit is not going to be so pleasant as previously reported. If we can have a moment alone, I've got some things to discuss with you and the Commander."
Jakon looked back to the airlock. There were no more people coming out. With a snort, he faced the Captain once more. "All right. If your people locate the Lieutenant Commander, have him sent to the Commander's Office." He nodded down the corridor. "Follow me."
Captain Richmond nodded to Linklighter. "Stay behind, make sure everything is sorted out."
"Aye, sir." Linklighter felt a bit perturbed by the whole thing. This wasn't supposed to be this hard.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Warm lights lit the station's entrance to the promenade. Even from the corridor, the sounds and smells of the inhabitants were strong enough to overwhelm. He could hear the distinct voices of a hundred different races, each one with their own dialect. Universal translators would be working overdrive to decipher the multitude.
Raising the hem of his robe so as not to step on it, he crossed the last threshold in to the promenade proper. The moment he set foot inside, there were dozens of people milling about. All of them thinking, talking, trying to decide on what to do next. It was a cacophony that silenced his raging internal voice.
Losing himself in the mixture of peoples, he raised his head enough to scan them from under his hood. There were more Bajorans about than any other races, but that wasn't surprising. The second most populous species were humans. Most of those, however, were in StarFleet uniforms. Then again, that wasn't a shock either.
He dismissed them, focusing on the varied shops. Bright lights flashing just down the ways was the most prominent. That was where it was at. As if expecting him, the lights weren't as annoying to his sensitive eyes as they should have been. For that, he was eternally grateful. Without thinking on it, he found himself drawn to them.
Shiny objects on stalls tried to lure him in. A sweet flavor of frozen a treat being eaten by Bajoran kids drifted in to entice. Seductive perfume highlighted a scantily dressed alien's already alluring appearance. Each one of them would have ordinarily have drawn him. Yet, he could not break himself away from the one.
Closing his eyes, he let his body keep moving towards the lights. The answer to a thousand dreams promised to be there under them. Twenty meters away and closing, he would be there soon.
A Vedic passed, giving him a nod of acknowledgement.
Shaking his head, he waved the man away. This was not the time to indulge in such things. After what felt like an eternity, he was there. Standing in the threshold of what was clearly a bar, he swayed on his feet. Almost, so close, it was almost there.
He closed his eyes once more, this time taking a deep breath. The smell was there, stronger, almost dominant. It was here!
A throat was cleared.
Opening blue eyes, he focused on the most wonderfully intense green ones. Swaying, he took a step forwards, towards those beautiful eyes. He noticed the way they widened at his action just a fraction. There was symmetry there, lines and excellence of perfect balance.
"May I help you?" The accent was thick, but highly cultured.
"Need." It was all he could think to say. Even that seemed alien to him. Speaking was not something he could think to focus on for very long.
Nodding, the owner of those haunting eyes reached out. The owner reached out to touch him. "Yes, well, I'm certain you have had quite enough."
Catching that hand, he laced their fingers together. Shock passed through their joined hands as green eyes closed. Taking advantage of the situation, he reached up to cup the other's chin, his fingers splayed across the owner's face.
Awareness touched his mind. A sense of panic followed quickly by fear and anger. He didn't care, the need drove him on, pushing passed the mental barriers.
The owner of the green eyes cried out. Slowly, he reached up to cup the face of the blue eyes.
He had what he needed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chris turned his chair to face the doors the moment they started opening. He started to yell at whoever was trying to disturb him, but caught himself in time when he noticed the uniform. Rising from his chair, he left his partially crumpled uniform hanging open. "What can I do for you, Captain?"
Having followed Jakon in to the office, Captain Richmond took in the appearance of the office before settling on Chris. It wasn't much to be impressed with. "I'm not here for a social visit, Larabee, so I'll skip down to brass tacks. StarFleet Command feels with the Dominion threat, you are too vulnerable out here. To that end, I've brought you a shit pot load of upgrades for your defensive weaponry. They're to be installed, top priority. You should have, or will be receiving a message from both StarFleet and the Bajoran Chamber of Ministry or whatever they call their leaders this week, confirming this."
Before Chris could respond, Richmond gave a half assed salute and walked out. The doors closed behind him with a mechanical whine, ending with a thump.
Clenching his jaw, Chris shook his head in disgust. There was nothing more arrogant than a StarFleet captain, except may be a Romulan Commander. Nope, he snorted, the Captains even out classed them in that respect.
Waiting until Chris was mentally back in the room with him, Jakon walked over to stand front and center of him. "How long should I delay the unloading of these 'supplies'?"
Chris met Jakon's serious expression. He raised an eyebrow, amusement clearly written on his face. "It's going to be necessary to run a security check on our cargo bays before any of those weapons can be off loaded."
A grin twisted his face. Nodding, Jakon turned to go. "Yes, sir." He made it to the doors before a comm chirp erupted in the office.
"Commander." Josah's gravely voice erupted from the comm badge.
Hitting his badge, Chris signaled for Jakon to wait. "Go ahead."
"I think you should get down to the promenade. We have a situation developing in Quark's."
"On my way." Tapping the communicator off, Larabee grabbed the two sides of his uniform jacket and started to button them up. "Looks like we have an even better distraction. I wonder who tried to cheat Ezra now?" With a new hop in his step, problems forgotten, Chris rushed from around his desk.
Feeling new elation at the thought of sending the gambler to a penal colony, Jakon was close on Chris' heels.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Josah had four of his deputies holding people back. The moment he had called for the Commander had been like ringing a dinner bell. They started flooding the promenade to the point he was considering closing it. If the Commander agreed, that was just what he would do.
Thankfully, by the time the time he was about ready, the crowd parted to let Chris and Jakon through.
Taking the lead, Chris focused on Josah. "What's going on here?"
"See for yourself?" Josah pointed to the entrance of Quark's.
At dead center, a Ezra was down on one knee in front of a stranger, green fluid leaking from an ear. The stranger had one hand cupping the lower half of Ezra's face, the other holding his wrist. Frowning, Ezra desperately tried to reach at the face of his attacker. The only movement between the two was Ezra's twitching fingers.
"Have you tried to separate them?" Chris had to glance away from the spectacle to see Josah's reaction. When all he got was a blank stare, he sighed. "Then do so!"
"That would not be wise, Commander." Voice strained, Ezra grit his teeth. His head shook as he tried to look towards Chris. "If you would be so kind as to assist me, I could end this."
Chris started forward.
"Not you, the shapeshifter! Come, hurry!" Ezra cried out as the stranger's fingers tightened. His face going dark green, he tried to twist away. "Move your ass, Josah!"
That got the Changeling moving. Crossing the distance, he looked about them helplessly. "What do you want me to do?"
"Push my fingers to his face, place them over his temples." Straining against the vise grip around his wrist, Ezra started to rise up.
Still uncertain, Josah hesitantly used his strength to push the straining fingers the rest of the way to the stranger's temple. The moment they made contact, Josah was thrown back.
The stranger cried out, losing his iron hold on Ezra.
With a savage cry, Ezra arranged his fingers properly. Staring the Vulcan in the eyes, he his grin turned feral. "Don't go now, we we're just about to start having fun! My mind to your mind, my thoughts to your thoughts. Sound familiar?" Ezra's eyes suddenly went wide and his head snapped back, free of the Vulcan's grip.
Crying out, the Vulcan fell to his knees, taking Ezra with him. Ineffectually, he tapped at Ezra's hand on his temple. He whimpered in distress as Ezra physically and mentally gained the upper hand. Falling back, he was only held up by the arm Ezra slid around his waist.
Ezra met the Vulcan's gaze, keeping his hold on the other man. Mouth hanging open, he gasped for breath. After a time, he nodded. "It's okay, now. You are quite safe. There is no need to fear."
Closing his eyes, the Vulcan went limp.
Releasing the Vulcan's face, Ezra slipped his free arm under his shoulders. Ezra eased himself back on his ass, taking the Vulcan with him. Settling the younger man against him, he pushed the hair from his face. There was several days worth of filth and facial hair growth covering him.
Josah moved to take the Vulcan from him, but Ezra waved him away. Frowning, he stared at the gambler, questioning. "Care to explain what just happened?"
Instead of paying attention to the security officer, Ezra focused his gaze upon the Commander. "I wonder whose stunning lack of intelligence sent this inexperienced young man to my doorstep? Keep in mind, I know he is one of yours." He pushed aside the edge of the Vulcan's robe to reveal a StarFleet comm badge.
Having gone unnoticed to this point, Jakon tried not to let his disappointment show when he cleared his throat. "If I'm not mistaken, that is Lieutenant Commander Tavin, our new Science Officer." Just as he mentally predicted, he was now the center of attention. "He wasn't at the airlock when I met Captain Richmond. The Captain seemed to believe the Lieutenant Commander was deliberately causing him trouble."
"Is that so." Chris noticed the interest of the crowd, more than a few of them were wearing StarFleet uniforms. Many of those, he didn't recognize. "All right, Josah, I want these people cleared out, immediately. Jakon, belay your revenge. Get those supplies unloaded from the Conestoga as soon as possible. I want that ship and its crew off my station!"
"You heard the man." Making himself larger, Josah crossed his arms and glared at the crowd. He nodded to his deputies, who began pushing people back gently.
For his part, Jakon lingered for a moment. He continued to watch Ezra, no longer hiding the fact he was upset. Not today, it seemed. Then, to his astonishment, the gambler actually started to tenderly caress the Vulcan's cheek. Disturbed by this change in behavior, he shook his head an moved on.
Catching on to what upset Jakon, Chris turned his attention to Ezra and the unconscious Tavin. He took a few unsure steps towards the men. When he was a meter away, he was halted by the protective look Ezra sent him. "What really happened, Ezra?"
"That is none of your business, Commander. It is a private matter between Mr. Tavin and myself." Ezra shifted to get his feet under him. Gathering Tavin up in his arms, he climbed to his feet, taking the Vulcan with him.
Chris thought he would take the Lieutenant Commander to the infirmary. He was mistaken. "Where are you goin? The infirmary is that way." He pointed across the promenade.
Glaring the crowd back, Ezra shifted Tavin higher up in his arms. "There is no need. Nothing your people can do will aide in his...recovery." When Tavin started to murmur something, Ezra shushed him, cradling him against his chest. "As I stated, this is between Mr. Tavin and myself." Turning again, he made his way through the surprised throngs.
"Are you just going to stand there and let him go? Who knows what his intentions are with your Lieutenant." Having dispersed most of the crowd, Josah resumed his natural height, such that it was. He stood behind Chris, watching the gambler carry the Vulcan over the Commander's shoulder.
"I know his intentions, I just wished to god I didn't." At Josah's frown, Chris shook his head. "Let it go, it was the Lieutenant's decision. At least, as much as it can be." Taking the lead, Chris moved towards the security office. "Let's review the security footage, I want to make sure no one took advantage of this distraction."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Uniform once more unbuttoned, Chris let hang open as he nearly staggered down the corridor. After the longest day he could ever remember, he was ready to stagger home and die. His quarters were merely a few feet away, but he was in no hurry to get to them. What was the point? They would be just as bare as they were for the past six days. Ever since Jadzia had been murdered.
His hand was up to enter the security code. Chris wondered why it wouldn't hit the buttons until he noticed it was shaking. Reaching up, he slapped it aside and pounded in the code with his other hand. He would not be so weak as to break down in the middle of the hall.
As the doors hissed opened, he anticipated having to fumble his way through the dark. Trying to find his way to the bedroom while ordering a drink from the replicator seemed to be his only form of solace of late. What he got, instead, was a room decked out in candles, easy listening music drifting from some where.
He hesitated to enter the quarters. Whoever had done it, had gone to a lot of trouble. As his eyes adjusted to the low level of flickering lights, he could make out the layout of the room. The destroyed pottery shards were no longer against the wall, his smashed glass table was gone as well. On the dining room table, there were several warming dishes with lids on them.
Hands clenched, he entered with the intention of killing the person who had dared to Jadzia's dishes. It seemed he would get his chance when the doors to his bedroom opened. Watching the tall stranger walk out dressed in 'his' robe and pajama bottoms and little else nearly sent him over the edge. Only one thing held him in check.
The man had spots.
Carrying a bottle of wine to the dinner table, the stranger read the label. "Not the good stuff, but it'll have to..." He was brought up short by the sound of the outer doors closing behind Chris. The man was stunned for only a second before smiling at the Commander. "Hey, you." His grin was blinding.
Chris felt like his body was dropping away from him. Staring at the man was all he seemed capable of.
Seeing this, the man took on a look of concern. "What's the matter? You look like shit, cowboy." At mentioning the hated nickname, he tilted his head to the side and winked.
That was the end. Chris couldn't take it any more. Strength giving way, his knees crashed to the deck.
Alarmed, the man shot across the room to catch Chris in his arms. Kneeling in front of the Commander, he ran a hand through Chris. His fingers deftly pushed the strands from the Human's eyes. "It's all right, Chris, I'm here. Everything is going to be fine."
His arms, weak from shock, slid up the stranger's back to embrace him. Some how, he found the strength to pull him close. Burying his face in the man's neck, he cried out. Chris clenched his eyes shut, unable to see through the tears anyways. Only one word would come to him, the same he whispered every time he came.
"Buck."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"So, this is your new body?" JD was still a little freaked out by the idea of a complete stranger knowing so many intimate details about him. He had to crane his neck to look in Buck's new face, but that was nothing new. Jadzia had been exceptionally tall too. That idea made him scowl.
Patting JD on the cheek, Buck smirked. "Don't worry, kid, you'll grow up one day."
"Very funny, Buck." It had come out automatically, but JD could tell it pleased the Trill. "You've gonna tell the others about, you know?"
"I'll let them figure it out. Though, I don't think it will take that long." Pulling a card from his hand, Buck set it down on the table beside JD's bed. There wasn't much room on the bed and all the chairs were being used. "Jakon still hasn't figure out how to use a door chime."
"He didn't!" At Buck's nod, JD burst in to a cackling fit. Forgetting his cards, he let them dip to the bed. "I bet he swore a blue streak."
Nodding again, Buck peaked at the kid's cards. He wasn't above using this to his advantage. One could never have enough latinum. "Yeah, but I think that got him most was that I had Chris..."
"Seriously, Buck, I don't need to know. Thanks." Picking up his cards, he checked them over. Seeing nothing he liked, he folded his hand and tossed it on the table.
Buck stared in dismay at the cards for a second. He had had a winning hand and the kid had just thrown the game away. So much for more latinum. "Wanna play another hand?"
"I'd love to, except, I've got some test results to go over." He looked around the chamber for a bit, making sure there were no prying ears. When he was satisfied, he gestured for Buck to come in closer. "You'll never guess what I found out."
"What?" Grin a mile wide, Buck leaned down to eye level with the Doctor.
"Ezra's half Romulan!" Thumping the Trill on the chest, JD chuckled. "Nearest I can tell, his daddy was one. Them ears ain't his and that face must have cost a fortune to alter cause I couldn't tell."
That wiped all cheer from Buck. Frowning, he picked up the cards from the table. "Damn it!" He stuffed them back in their box. "That means I owe Inez a bottle of Blood Wine."
"Don't forget about Jakon. He bet that Ezra was a Cardi. Guess, we ain't the only ones that lost." Despite that, JD was in a pretty good mood. Reaching out with his good arm, he swung the console over his lap. He typed in a few commands, drawing up the test results he wanted.
Bored with putting away the gaming supplies, Buck peeked over the console. When something caught his eye, he whistled. "Is that Ezra's..."
"Yep." JD made a special note for his personal files on the screen.
"What did that?" Buck wasn't easily impressed with bruises, but that one had been a beauty.
"Lieutenant Commander Tavin." No longer weary about patient confidentiality, JD typed in the file name. He slid over for Buck to see better.
Buck had to look twice. "How is that even possible?"
Giggling, JD shook his head. "I have no idea. The fact they were even compatible was just a pleasant coincidence." He pulled up more pictures.
Cocking his head to the side, Buck bit his lip. He whimpered at the next image. "Did you bug their quarters to get these?"
"No need. They came in for some firstaid early this morning." Activating a small video file at the bottom of the screen, JD had to cover his mouth several times to keep from laughing. "Inez wasn't amused over the stains."
Catching what was going on in the video, Buck stopped. He tilted his head again. "I've done that. Not in this body, though, at least not yet."
JD's shriek of laughter echoed in the Infirmary.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sitting in his desk chair, Chris studied the stoic Vulcan in front of him. He wasn't the typical male of his species. For one, Tavin had long hair, almost unruly in its design. Another, he had blue eyes and pale skin. Vulcans were typically dark complected. Chris put a finger to his chin. "I've known a few Vulcans, so, can I trust what happened yesterday won't be happening again any time soon?"
Clearing his throat, Tavin stared directly ahead. "Yes, sir."
"Good." He reached out to pick up a padd on his desk. Scanning the file on it, Chris found it contained very little of what he wanted and set it back down. "Are you satisfied with the results?"
Tavin's eyes flickered over Chris' face a couple times before resuming their watch out the porthole. Straightening his spine, he took his time in answering. "It was satisfactory."
"That wasn't what I was asking." That earned Chris a look that erased the next question from his mind. Nodding, he put the padd back on his desk. "I understand that this is a personal time in a Vulcan's life. By any right, you should be back on your home world, deep in the Pon-Farr with your mate. Unfortunately, circumstances and ignorance has put us in the positions we currently occupy."
"You do not have to worry about me, sir, I can do my job." Hands folded behind his back, Tavin kept them steady. It wasn't much of a problem, so long as he didn't have to touch anyone.
Chris resumed his study of the Vulcan. It was just a happy coincidence that his eyes were on Tavin's eyes. He saw the pupils dilate, then contract rapidly. The Vulcan in front of him was no more in control than he himself was the day before.
Taking pity upon Tavin, Chris turned his chair to the side. "Take today off. You can report for duty first thing tomorrow morning."
"I..." he trailed off. Saluting the Commander, Tavin turned and walked calmly from his office.
After the doors had closed behind the Vulcan, Chris tapped his comm badge. "Commander Larabee to Ezra. He's on his way."
"Understood, and thank you."
"Don't mention it." Stepaling his fingers, Chris spun his chair to face out his port hole. For what felt like an age, he sat alone in his thoughts. Then, his main doors opened and the semi-peace was lost. "Whatever it is, it can wait."
"Not this time, Chris." Standing in front of Chris' desk, Buck kept the furniture between them. It felt safer that way. "We need to talk."
"I've got nothing to say." That wasn't entirely true, but Chris wasn't about to admit that.
"That's a lie, we both know it." It seemed he was going to have forego even the small comfort of physical distance. Taking steadying breath, Buck walked round the desk. When he could see Chris' face, he stopped. "She's dead, Chris, and she's not coming back. What we have between us, that's going to change, but I want to keep as much of it as I can."
"Fine." There was no one fixed point that interested Chris. Just so long as he didn't have to look at Buck and be reminded. It wasn't his Buck, but inside, she/he was still in there some where.
"It's not fine. You're not getting out of this one." Buck felt ten sorts of fool, tears clouding the edges of his vision. "I died. I felt that blade slice through my throat, I bled out on that damned planet."
As Buck spoke, Chris' hands clenched the arm rests of his chair. "It's okay, you're here now."
"It never happened to me, but I can still feel it as if it just happened." Buck took a step towards Chris. "A week ago I was an initiate of the Symbiosis Commission on Trill. A week ago I died on a planet seventy-thousand light years from my home. These two things are mutually exclusive, but they both happened to me. I remember both, but I can't really piece together which one I should accept to be real."
Chris wouldn't look at him. There was just too much pain in those words.
"I came here hoping you would be able to help me. Only, I didn't anticipate how strong my memories of this place, of you, would be. Last night made clear I'm not strong enough to do this on my own." For the first time since he entered, Buck's courage failed him. He was almost to the point he was trying to make, but that last push seemed to be missing. If, so many ifs, he had no choice. "Do you want me to stay?"
Finally, Chris closed his eyes. He didn't want this. Why couldn't it just go away, all of it? "Do you regret what happened last night?"
Raising his chin, Buck knew the answer to this one. "Can't say as I do."
"Then stay. Simple as that." And that was it. Chris let it all go. The next moment found him in Buck's arms. He couldn't figure out how it had happened, but the Trill was always doing things like that. Now that he was there, he found he couldn't really find a reason why not to be. "I've missed you." Under other circumstances, Chris would have been embarrassed by the shaking of his voice.