****Rafko's POV****
We materialized in the Infirmary. As always, it took me a moment to get my bearings. Once my vision focused, I could see Julian, still dressed in his tuxedo, approaching us.
"What happened?" he demanded as he looked at the Klingon Jane Doe. I shrugged, "Okal, Emallia and I found her. She was already unconscious."
Julian pulled out a tricorder, while I leaned over our patient, trying to find the source of her wounds.
"She's put herself into some kind of mental stasis," Julian said in wonderment.
"That would explain why I couldn't find a pulse," I commented. I gently peeled away a section of her dress. "I knew Vulcans were capable of such regenerative trances, but I was not aware that Klingons could do the same."
"Any ideas on who is responsible?" Julian said, his tone businesslike and stiff. Professional, I thought, but not friendly; he was still upset with me. And because things were tense between us, I decided to keep the knowledge of the mek'leth to myself; hopefully Emallia or Okal had disposed of it properly.
"We saw no one," I said truthfully. By now I had located the source of the Klingon's injury: a blow to the side of her head. I frowned. "This trauma, it's not consistent with that of a mek'leth, but rather something more blunt."
"Let me see," Julian said, scanning her with a tricorder. "I'm picking up illium particles."
"Illium?" I asked in confusion. "But you can't even find that in the Alpha Quadrant."
Julian nodded, "It's an alloy specific to the Gamma Quadrant."
I moved over to the console and began running a DNA analysis of our patient with the thought of matching her up to the scans already in our pattern buffers. The silence in the Infirmary was chilling. "Xenia..." Julian said. "Look, I'm sorry-" I turned to him; he looked properly contrite, but I wasn't ready to let him off the hook yet.
"Let's talk about this later," I told him. "Right now, I'm more interested in finding out who this is."
"Right."
A moment later, Julian said, "Xenia, you said that the wound wasn't consistent with that of a mek'leth. Why would you say that?" My heart started pounding rapidly.
"Did I say that?" I asked innocently. "I didn't mean anything by it..."
Julian said, "Are you hiding something?"
I didn't want to lie to him. At that moment, I was saved though by the beeping of the console. "
What is it?" Julian asked. "It's a match," I said excitedly. And then I frowned. "What's the matter?" Julian asked and then he looked over my shoulder at the patterns that were rapidly forming on the screen. "Oh, that's not good..."
"What's not good?" asked a voice from behind us. I turned to see Odo standing there. Julian and I looked at each other, not quite sure how to respond. We were saved though when Odo's comm chirped.
"Okal to Security," my friend's voice sounded tentative and a little bit afraid.
"Odo here," the constable responded.
"There is something here in my quarters," Okal said. "I think you should come and see this."
Odo nodded, "I'll be right there. Doctors, why don't you accompany me? We can discuss your findings on the way."
Julian and I looked at each other; for the first time in months, we were in agreement. There was no easy way to break this news.
****Okal's POV****
The scuffling behind me grew louder. I let the doors behind me close and I locked them on the numerical keypad to the side. I knew the code off by heart so the darkness did not impede me. I kept an ear close to the door, and slid the communicator out of my dress.
"Okal to Security." I was genuinely nervous. I hope that wasn't apparent in my voice.
"Odo here," the constable responded.
"There is something here in my quarters," I said. "I think you should come and see this."
"I'll be right there," he answered.
I felt somewhat relieved. Odo knew the security override for my quarters, so I thought it best to leave what was outside my quarters just where it was. Now, to figure out what was inside.
"Computer," I whispered "lights, five percent." I wanted to at least see my way around in case I found who or what was invading my personal space.
I made my way to the desk very quietly. Opening the drawer I thought would immediately give me away. It had a tendency to squeak. Inside I grabbed the small Type I phaser. I checked the setting to make sure it had not been tampered with. It was still set on stun.
I moved myself somewhat stealthily to the front of the room, near the doorway to the source of the noise. There was a slight crashing... was that my sonic shower running? I poked my head around the corner and could see nothing. With the quickest two steps of my life, I was across the tiny corridor into the closet area just ahead of me.
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I stepped out and walked towards the shower area... I could still see nothing. Suddenly the noise was behind me, then in front, then again behind me. I turned.
"Stay where you are!" I yelled, phaser pointed.
The noise, now directly ahead of me, with poor lighting, was getting louder.
"I said stay where you are!" To make my point, I aimed the phaser directly above the source of the noise and fired a warning shot. At the same moment, I heard the disturbance now again behind me.
"Catava?" I heard a weak whisper. I had no idea which way it came from, I lost my bearings moments ago. "Catava?"
****Rafko's POV****
Julian and I had to lengthen our stride to keep up with Odo, who was now proceeding to Okal's quarters at full-speed. He had already asked for a security team to meet us there. Odo turned to briefly look at us, "Okay, talk."
I looked at Julian and he shrugged at me as if to say, "you go first."
"The Klingon Jane Doe," I began, "was attacked by some blunt object made out of illium. It was enough to cause a massive blood clot in her cranium, which progressed to her heart. But thanks to the Klingon's redundant systems, she will make a full recovery."
Odo nodded as we boarded the turbo lift. The lift lurched as we headed towards our destination.
"Do you know who she is?" Odo questioned.
"Yes and no," Julian said uncomfortably. "Her DNA matches that of a Mar'i'sel, Daughter of K'Ntal."
Odo frowned, "So you've established her identify. So what is the problem?"
Julian and I exchanged a look. He nodded at me to go ahead. "You've heard of mitochondrial Eve, right?" I asked. Odo nodded.
"That's the theory where the mother's mitochondria is passed onto all of her offspring so that it is possible to trace an unbroken line back to Eve, the first mother?" Odo asked.
"Theoretically speaking," I said. "There are several Eves out there, due to our genetic diversity, but yes, it is possible to trace one's mitochondria back through generations to establish one common ancestor."
"I don't understand what you are saying, Doctor," Odo said as we got off the turbo lift and headed towards Okal's quarters.
"When I ran Jane Doe - I mean, Mar'i'sel's - DNA through the pattern buffers, her mitochondria matched up with that of another person aboard the station," I said grimly.
Odo paused, "Who?"
Julian said quietly, "Laizia."
Odo's face rippled slightly, "Are you saying that this woman's mother is Jadzia Dax?" I shook my head, "I'm not sure. She's all Klingon, that's for sure. But her mitochondrial DNA is exactly that of Laizia's. And I have no doubt that if we compared it to Commander Dax's mitochondria we would have an exact match. And I'm willing to go as far as say that it would match the mitochondria of all of Commander Dax' grandmothers for the last ten thousand years."
"How could that be possible?" Odo asked. At that moment we heard phaser fire down the hall. All three of us broke into a sprint. Outside of Okal's quarters, we discovered one of those pesky voles scratching at the door, but the phaser fire was definitely coming from within. Odo quickly punched in his security override code. The doors slid open and we went in. The lights were dimmed, and some furniture was overturned. "Ensign?" Odo called out.
"In here," Okal responded from the bedroom in a grim tone. We followed her voice. She was standing with one hand on her hip and a phaser in the other hand, pointed straight at one frightened young woman.
"Who is this?" I asked.
Okal sighed, "This is a long story..."
*** Okal's Log ****
"Ensign?" Odo called out.
"In here," I responded from the bedroom. I was standing with my phaser pointed straight at my unexpected houseguest.
"Who is this?" Xenia asked.
I sighed, "This is a long story..."
"Well," Odo started with his arms crossed over his chest, "please indulge us."
"This is Luzahra Mandrek. I knew her from my childhood." Not moving a muscle, my phaser was still pointed directly at her respiratory system, straight as an arrow.
"Catava," Xenia started, "don't you think you should lower your phaser? I don't think she'll be going anywhere."
I complied. My arm was tiring from the strain, so I was relieved to be able to let it hang at my side. I sat on the end of my bed. Luzahra sat in the corner, the fear somewhat washed off her face.
"We know of your history Ensign, moving from Ktarian homeworld as a child to the binar system, but how is it you kow a Cardassian. What interests do they have there?" Julian asked. I looked at the floor. "The last time I saw Luzahra, she wasn't a Cardassian."
Mandrek looked at the wall as if I had just given away a military secret to Dominion. Six sets of eyes now focused on her to see if what I said was true.
"Her name when I first came to know her was La'Zra, Daughter of M'Drek. With a slight play on words, and a bit of surgical alteration she bacame a completely different person. No one would know she was an exiled Klingon of a powerful house."
"Is this true?" Odo questioned her.
"It is, Founder." With the look in her eyes, you could tell she wanted to rip him apart with her bare teeth. "I was exiled because I killed a man. He was a *petaQ* and deserved his fate."
"Who was this man?" Xenia asked, now as intrigued with the story as the other were.
"Komach. The nephew of Che'Tak." La'Zra spat at the floor after she said his name.
"Hold on just a minute. 'Che'Tak', isn't that Sirella's cousin?" Julian waved his finger in the air as he asked his rhetorical question. Everyone knew Sirella was General Martok's wife.
A look of pure astonishment fell upon the faces of our two resident doctors, just as Julian had said it himself. I felt as if I all of sudden I didn't know the whole story, whatever story it was.
"Enough of this," said Odo. "You're going to the brig while I look up your history."
He turned to the three security officers who strode in seconds after he and the others had arrived. "Please escort our guest to the brig." With a nod, they hauled her up from her feet. "Now, I do believe we have a meeting with the Captain. Dr. Bashir, you'd better come along as well. We should be going, the Captain is probably already..." Just then, his comm badge chirped. Bashir looked at Odo. 'Busy night." His attempt at a joke did nothing to amuse the Chief of Security. He turned and started to walk out with the rest of us.
"Janor to Security." We stopped in our tracks. We were all surprised to hear Emalia's voice. All except Odo. "Odo here."
"Constable, sorry to disturb you. I was on my way to Captain Sisko's office when I passed Nu'Daq's quarters."
'She was probably going there to check up on Katja.' I thought to myself. 'With Nu'Daq's rage lately, it wasn't a bad idea, but maybe not the best one to undertake alone.'
"His door was lodged open. I looked inside and Lt. Katja was on the floor unconscious."
"I'll be right there."
Before he could move, she interrupted. "Constable, I think there is something else you should know. Nu'Daq isn't here. The only person in his quarters is Lt. Katja." He looked at our little ragtag group, half in uniform, half in formal twentieth century dress. We all had the same idea. At a pace that could be considered a run, we headed for the door.
Before I was out the door, I looked back quickly. I had noticed when La'Zra had curled her lip in animal hatred at the name of Nu'Daq. That was peculiar. What was even more peculiar was the fact that one of the security officer seemed familiar. Wasn't he at the crime scene on the holodeck? If he was, he was way off of his patrol beat. No... I had to have been mistake. I took a second glance. I didn't have time to dwell on something that was probably only my imagination.
One of my friends and fellow crewmen was hurt, and another was missing which didn't look very good for him. More pressing matters beckoned and I was out the door with the rest of them. I still hadn't changed out of my mauve dress. It wasn't as flattering as it was when I had put it on earlier in the evening.
*** Nu'Daq's Log ***
"You should have left it there," Nu'Daq repeated. Although he didn't want it to, it sounded like a threat. As he bend down to look at Katja, to see, if she was all right, she passed out. For a moment he wasn't sure of what to do. Should he stay with Katja or go look for the traitor? He decided to do the latter. Katja looked okay, she breathed easily and for a second Nu'Daq looked at her. She was beautiful to behold, fair Klingon traits combined with the delicate Betazoid features.
But the urgency of the situation awakened him, and he rushed out of the room with his mek'leth in his hand. He headed for the holosuites, avoiding any security personnel on the way. He was a skilled warrior, so he made it all the way without being detected. But to his dismay he saw, that the holosuite was guarded by security, so he retreated into one of the docking rings, pondering over what to do now.
"I must find La'Zra. Prevent her from doing any harm." Nu'Daq had recognized her the moment he saw her. Although she didnīt look Klingon anymore, it was obviously her. And Nu'Daq had known she was up to no good. He had seen her meet with that strange Klingon woman. Nu'Daq had followed the Klingon woman into the holosuite and seen her meet with a group of strange people. It seemed to be some sort of ploy against the mission of the Valjean. The rage within Nu'Daq had flared, and he had attacked the group. One of the strange men had knocked down the Klingon woman, before they all transported out of there. Nu'Daq was standing there with a dying Klingon woman, a traitor? and any security officer would be able to tell, that Nu'Daq had been there. So he had decided to leave his mek'leth. Hoping that it would seem so obvious, that Odo would dismiss him as being the attacker. Because even Nu'Daq wouldn't be so stupid as to leave his weapon there. Reversed psychology....
But in the midst of everything he had lost sight of La'Zra. She was dangerous, Nu'Daq knew that. He looked at the keen edge of his mek'leth. "I have to find La'Zra. And I have to kill her." And in his spirit he could feel the concern for the ship and his shipmates. But a new feeling had risen within him. The bloodlust. The anticipation of killing. A devious grin grew on Nu'Daq's face.
Go to Part Three
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