#captain skrain dukat

[k0rr1g4n]

[funnywormz]

i fucking hate dukat but mr alaimo has a very draw-able face. anyways have these

[endlessfandomverse]

old ds9 doodles

[spocks-husband]

"You are pathetic!"

"Then why are you the one on your knees?"

Dukat and Sisko are SOOOO fucking. They fuck like a beyblade battle. It's so hot.

[vaegonposting]

sprained my ankle and binged ds9

[uss-airedale]

poor sisko he has to deal with so much

(Based on an incorrect quote I got from here! ⬇️)

[deepspacedukat]

ST:DS9 Fic Masterlist

Master Post | ENT Masterlist | SNW Masterlist | TOS Masterlist | TNG Masterlist | VOY Masterlist | Non-ST Masterlist | Main OC Masterlist | Kinktober 2022 Masterlist | Summer Of Cum 2023 Masterlist |

18+ ONLY BEYOND THIS POINT

Fic Masterlist Key: 💛 = SFW, ❤️ = NSFW (18+ ONLY), 👀 = WIP/Coming Soon

✨Julian Bashir✨

~ Hugging Headcanons 💛:

Summary: A few headcanons about how Julian would be giving and receiving hugs.

~ Stress Reduction 💛:

Summary: Julian has a stressful day and his s/o comforts him.

✨Boheeka✨

~ The New Girl ❤️:

Summary: Reader is a Dabo Girl, and her first intimate contract happens to be a Cardassian Glinn.

✨Mirror!Brunt✨

~ Differences 💛:

Summary: Reader gets pulled into the Mirror Universe and meets somebody she didn’t expect.

✨Chu’lak✨

~ Accomplice ❤️:

Summary: She was the only one who understood his motives. They were two of a kind, Chu'lak and his accomplice.

✨Corat Damar✨

~ Bird-Of-Prey ❤️:

Summary: Dukat sees his lover for the first time in a while, and Glinn Damar walks in on them in a compromising position.

~ Gratis ❤️:

Summary: Gul Dukat surprises his lover with something he knows she’ll enjoy. - Kinktober 2022 Day 20

~ Not Here ❤️:

Summary: *Ficlet* Damar has a little public fun with his lover at a resistance meeting.

~ The Glinn Who Found Out ❤️:

Summary: The final installment in the “Gratis” trilogy, featuring Damar.

~ Tiny Dancer 💛:

Summary: Damar returns to his quarters at the end of the day, but when his lover isn’t there, he goes to look for her.

✨Skrain Dukat✨

~ Bird-Of-Prey ❤️:

Summary: Dukat sees his lover for the first time in a while, and Glinn Damar walks in on them in a compromising position.

~ Every Day, Every Way ❤️:

Summary: A drabble inspired by “Super Psycho Love” by Simon Curtis.

~ Eyes Wide Open ❤️:

Summary: Dukat seduces the reader in her quarters.

~ Facade ❤️:

Summary: *Ficlet* Dukat comes back to his quarters to find his lover occupied.

~ Gratis ❤️:

Summary: Gul Dukat surprises his lover with something he knows she’ll enjoy. - Kinktober 2022 Day 20

~ Infuriating 💛:

Summary: Reader is short, and Dukat is arrogant about it.

~ Melodramatic Vulcans ❤️:

Summary: You're a Romulan Major in the Tal Shiar, and you're questioning a new prisoner.

~ Ruin ❤️:

Summary: *Ficlet* Dukat makes a promise to his lover.

~ Terok Nor ❤️ (Fem!Reader):

Chapter 1 ✨ Chapter 2 ✨ Chapter 3 ✨ Chapter 4 ✨ Chapter 5 ✨ Chapter 6 ✨ Chapter 7 ✨ Chapter 8 ✨ Chapter 9 ✨ Chapter 10 ✨ - COMPLETE

Summary: The reader is a science officer with the rank of Lieutenant who is newly stationed aboard Deep Space Nine. Faster than you can say “yes, Commander,” she’s introduced to a Cardassian who is despised by the Bajoran people whose station she now resides on. With diplomacy already strained between the Bajorans and the Cardassians, will a Federation Lieutenant caught in the middle be able to salvage the situation? Or will she make it worse?

~ The Glinn Who Found Out ❤️:

Summary: The final installment in the “Gratis” trilogy, featuring Damar.

~ The Gul Who Knew ❤️:

Summary: A quick sequel to "Gratis" based off of the last few lines.

~ Unconscious Effort 💛:

Summary: *Ficlet* Reader wakes up in the infirmary with a smug Dukat there to tell her what happened.

~ Why Do The Monsters Come Out At Night? 💛 (Fem!Reader):

Summary: Reader is relaxing with Dukat in her quarters when she receives an unexpected - and unwelcome - visitor. **READ ALL TAGS/WARNINGS ON AO3**

✨Bajoran!Dukat✨

~ Beg For It ❤️:

Summary: The reader knows Anjohl Tennan’s true identity. Can he convince her not to go straight to Sisko? - Kinktober 2022 Day 11

✨Evek✨

~ Gratis ❤️:

Summary: Gul Dukat surprises his lover with something he knows she’ll enjoy. - Kinktober 2022 Day 20

~ The Gul Who Knew ❤️:

Summary: A quick sequel to "Gratis" based off of the last few lines.

✨Elim Garak✨

~ A Tight Squeeze ❤️:

Summary: Garak’s lover goes into his shop for a fitting, but after some teasing, she gets much more than her measurements taken. - Kinktober 2022 Day 13

~ Burned 💛:

Summary: Garak learns something about humans that he didn’t know before.

~ Deflection 💛:

Summary: *Ficlet* The reader calls Garak out on his jealousy.

~ Entirely Mine ❤️:

Summary: *Ficlet* Garak hears Dukat is going to be on the station and gives his girl a reminder.

✨Keevan✨

~ Keeping You ❤️:

Summary: *Ficlet* An intimate moment between Keevan and his human lover.

~ Not Yet ❤️:

Summary: *Ficlet* Keevan has a bit of fun with his lover.

~ Rest Easy 💛:

Summary: *Ficlet* Keevan's partner comes home feeling less than stellar.

✨Mirror!Kira✨

~ An Eye For Eye ❤️:

Summary: The Intendant punishes one of her Terran lovers. - SoC 2023 Day 28

✨Koval✨

~ Ask Me No Questions... ❤️:

Summary: The reader is a prisoner of the Tal Shiar, and who should take an interest in her case but Chairman Koval himself?

~ Censure ❤️:

Summary: Koval’s lover disobeys his orders. - SoC 2023 Day 27

~ Diagnosis 💛:

Summary: Koval's spouse finds out about his condition.

~ Imaginative ❤️:

Summary: Senator Letant promised his lover a surprise. A guest isn’t exactly what she expected. - Kinktober 2022 Day 3

~ No Stone Unturned ❤️:

Summary: Two of Koval’s contacts run, and he gives them a personal demonstration of how nobody can hide from the Tal Shiar. - SoC 2023 Day 24

~ Trepidation ❤️:

Summary: He’s the Chairman of the Tal Shiar, and he needs information that only the reader has. - Kinktober 2022 Day 14

✨Letant✨

~ Breaking Point ❤️:

Summary: A look into what Letant found in the security footage mentioned in "Contrition."

~ Chin’toka ❤️:

Part One ✨ Part Two ✨ - COMPLETE

Summary: A Romulan Senator waltzes into Quark’s Bar and knocks the reader (metaphorically) off-balance. (#1 in “Senator Letant Of Romulus” series)

~ Contrition ❤️:

Summary: Letant comes home to find that his spouses have been busy.

~ Distracted 💛:

Summary: *Ficlet* Letant can't resist stealing a kiss.

~ Dripping With Affection ❤️:

Summary: How else is a Senator supposed to mark his territory? - SoC 2023 Day 26

~ From Silence 💛:

Part One ✨ Part Two ✨ Part Three ✨ Part Four ✨ Part Five ✨ Epilogue ✨ - COMPLETE

Summary: The reader and Letant are in a Dominion prison camp, and he grants her a mercy she didn't expect.

~ Imaginative ❤️:

Summary: Senator Letant promised his lover a surprise. A guest isn’t exactly what she expected. - Kinktober 2022 Day 3

~ Love Stings ❤️:

Summary: While on a mission with Senator Letant, the reader is encounters a very odd insect. Will he be able to save her in time?

~ Not Until I Say ❤️:

Summary: Letant’s lover makes him wait, so he turns the tables. - Also third in the “Senator Letant of Romulus” series (follows “Chin’toka” and “The Return”). - Kinktober 2022 Day 22 (#3 of “Senator Letant Of Romulus” series)

~ Praetor’s Pride ❤️:

Part 1 ✨ Part 2 ✨ Part 3 ✨ Part 4 ✨ Part 5 ✨ Part 6 ✨ Part 7 👀

Summary: Letant tries to set his friend up with none other than the Praetor of the Romulan Empire.

~ The Return ❤️:

Summary: (Bonus scene/mini sequel to “Chin’toka.”) A glimpse into events after Letant and the reader return to the station after the battle. (#2 in “Senator Letant Of Romulus” series)

✨Lojal✨

~ Rationale 💛:

Summary: The reader runs into someone she didn't think she'd ever see again, bringing back some painful memories.

~ Restoration 💛:

Summary: A few weeks after they were reunited, Lojal has a question for his Lieutenant Commander. (Sequel to Rationale)

✨Lovok✨

~ Out Of The Frying Pan... ❤️:

Summary: Reader and Lovok escape from a Dominion prison camp in a small shuttlecraft, but is it all sunshine and rainbows? - Kinktober 2022 Day 4

✨Odo✨

~ All Bunched Up 💛:

Summary: Odo finds the reader in distress and comforts them.

✨Remata’Klan✨

~ The Third ❤️:

Summary: *Ficlet* Reader is captured by the Jem'Hadar, and Keevan gives her to his Third to do with as he desires.

✨Solok✨

~ Captain’s Orders ❤️:

Summary: Solok indulges one of his wife’s fantasies in a safe, logical manner. - SoC 2023 Day 7

~ Reluctantly Primal ❤️:

Summary: Solok begins his pon farr and proposes to one of Sisko’s officers.

✨Tiron✨

~ An Alternate Selection ❤️:

Summary: When Tiron is less than satisfied with Quark’s standard holosuite programs, he is offered another option. - SoC 2023 Day 30

✨Velal✨

~ Appointment ❤️:

Summary: Senator Cretak’s replacement is much more willing to take what he wants, and that’s the reader on their knees. - Kinktober 2022 Day 7

~ Easing The Way ❤️:

Summary: A few weeks after the events of “Appointment,” General Velal and his lover celebrate a special occasion in their favorite way. - SoC 2023 Day 15

✨Vreenak✨

~ An Unusual Request ❤️:

Summary: Set during the events of S6E19 “In The Pale Moonlight,” Senator Vreenak makes an odd request from Captain Sisko, which he grants.

~ Breaking Point ❤️:

Summary: A look into what Letant found in the security footage mentioned in "Contrition."

~ Contrition ❤️:

Summary: Letant comes home to find that his spouses have been busy.

~ The Lifeline ❤️:

Part 1 ✨ Part 2 ✨ Part 3 ✨ Part 4 👀

Summary: Senator Vreenak receives an unlikely message - one he can't resist looking into.

~ Patience ❤️:

Summary: Vreenak and his secretary learn patience the hard way when their turbolift escapades are interrupted. - SoC 2023 Day 2

~ Talk To Me ❤️:

Summary: Vreenak’s lover is enthralled by his voice, and he takes advantage of that. - Kinktober 2022 Day 25

✨Weyoun✨

~ All That Matters 💛:

Summary: *Ficlet* Weyoun poses a question to his lover.

~ Canvas ❤️:

Summary: Damar was right. The sixth Weyoun didn’t have the seventh’s appetite for cruelty - a preference which extends to the bedroom. - Kinktober 2022 Day 17

~ Satisfaction ❤️:

Summary: The reader sees Weyoun in the Replimat and ends up in an intriguing conversation.

~ Sinful Eyes ❤️:

Summary: *Ficlet* Reader gets caught staring when she thinks Weyoun’s attention is elsewhere.

~ The Only One ❤️:

Part 1 ✨ Part 2 ✨ Part 3 ✨ Part 4 ✨ Part 5 ✨ Part 6 ✨ Part 7 ✨ Part 8 👀 Part 9 👀 Part 10 👀 Part 11 👀

Summary: The reader is on the Defiant when it encounters a Dominion ship that’s been badly damaged. When the crew is beamed aboard, she meets someone she never expected.

~ Undone ❤️:

Summary: *Ficlet* An intimate moment between Weyoun and his lover.

[keanu-reeves]

[daxwormzz]

Assorted Dukat doodles

[most-foolish-of-the-tooks]

Same Sisko

[presidentpoppy]

the truth behind the dominion negotiations based on this

[a-noone]

Dumpster Gul

From my Qcard fic narrated by Picard.

And, indeed, there was an extremely tall Vulcan, dressed entirely in close-fitting black garments, his long, dark hair streaked with gray, the top half of it up in a bun, and a sword in both hands, poised to strike. 

Facing us, his back to a brick wall, was none other than Skrain Dukat , with his hands up, smiling broadly, as only a Cardassian can, with sheer terror. 

The Vulcan spoke, and his voice was utterly unmistakable. “Attempt to contact your ship, and I will bring your head to the Maquis as a trophy.” It was none other than S’chn T’gai Spock. 

Dukat chuckled with fear, shaking his head, “Admiral Spock…”

“No one has called me Admiral in thirty years, Dukat.”

“Nonetheless!” Dukat said. “You’re a Vulcan! Bred for peace!”

“Yes, I’m fond of that quote. I have another: The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few…” and then, Spock added, with venom, “or the one. And you. Have cut a path of suffering and destruction so wide, and so deep, that in ten lifetimes, it could never be healed. Logically, shall I allow it to continue?” 

“I am sorry about what happened to Doctor McCoy,” Dukat said. “I am! Truly!”

I felt my breath catch with panic. 

“But he sabotaged my ship!” Dukat continued, “I had a duty!”

Kiara maneuvered around Spock, and, taking advantage of Dukat’s shock at seeing her, executed a neck-pinch and laid the Cardassian flat. Then she turned around to face Spock and folded her arms. “Really, Spock?”

“Kiara!” He exclaimed, then sheathed his sword in a scabbard at his back, and rushed forward to hug her. 

“You dramatic asshole!” Kiara chuckled. “Is Leo ok?”

“He will be,” said Spock, now pulling away to look into Kiara’s face, still holding her arms. “He’s with Lan in the infirmary at the temple.” He let her go. “I must deal with Dukat.”

“You can’t kill him, Spock,” said Kiara. “The tenuous sympathies of the Federation will go up in smoke if he turns up dead. Take it from the tactician. Penny wise, pound foolish.”

“What do you recommend, Colonel?” Spock asked. 

Kiara rolled her eyes and snorted. “Dumpster?”

From: No, it has never been, and it never will be, Chapter 8.

[loki2strife]

[sloan-suggestion]

Deep Space Nine Crew Manifest

Starfleet Personnel

Captain Ben Sisko - @sisko-suggestion

Commander Worf - @worf--suggestion

Lieutenant Commander Jadzia Dax - @jadzia-suggestions

Doctor Julian Bashir - @bashir-suggestion

Counsellor Ezri Dax - @ezri-suggestion

Ensign Nog - @nog-suggestion

Chief Petty Officer Miles O'Brien - @chiefobrien-suggestion

Head of Federation Cartography, Wendell Greer/Agent Luther Sloan - @sloan-suggestion

-

Allied Forces Personnel

Colonel Kira Nerys - @kira-suggestion

Constable Odo - @odo-suggestion

General Martok - @martok-suggestion

-

Diplomatic Personnel

Ambassador Lwaxana Troi - @lwaxana-suggestions

Grand Nagus Rom - @rom-suggestion

Ambassador Ishka - @moogie-suggestion

Kai Winn Adami - @winn-suggestion

Legate Corat Damar - @damar-suggestion

Master Surchid Falow - @falow-suggestion

-

Civilian Residents

Jake Sisko - @jake-suggestion

Tora Ziyal - @ziyal-suggestion

Vedek Bareil Antos - @bareil-suggestion

Keiko O'Brien - @keiko-suggestions

Molly O'Brien - @molly-suggestion

Vic Fontain - @vicfontain-suggestions

Elim Garak - @garak-suggestion

Leeta - @leeta-suggestions

Quark - @quark-suggestion

Morn - @morn-suggestion

Porthos - @porthos--suggestion

Kukalaka - @kukalaka-suggestion

-

Regular Visitors

Mila Garak - @mila-suggestion

Enabran Tain - @tain-suggestion

Doctor Kelas Parmak - @parmak-suggestion

Michael Eddington - @eddington-suggestions

Former Nagus Gint - @gint-suggestion

Brunt, FCA - @brunt-suggestion

Lore - @actuallore

-

Dominion Personnel

The Great Link - @great-link-suggestion

The Founder Matriarch - @founder-suggestions

Laas - @laas-suggestion

Weyoun - @weyoun-suggestion

Keevan - @keevan-suggestion

Omet'Iklan - @omet-iklan-suggestion

Ikat'Ika - @ikat-ika-suggestion

Thot Gor - @thot-suggestion

Skrain Dukat - @dukat-suggestion

[professortora]

shipping stuff

Answer the following for your muse(s) so people know how shipping works on your blog. REPOST. Don’t reblog.

WHAT’S YOUR OTP FOR YOUR MUSE?: With Naprem, it’s obvious. Naprain will be the death of me, probably. It’s the most problematic OTP I’ve ever had in my life and it fills my life with pain and misery and loathing, but... man. She loves him so much. @skrain400babiesdukat is too good to me, and their romance melts me into a big pile of sad shouting goo.

WHAT ARE YOU WILLING TO RP WHEN IT COMES TO SHIPPING?: My range is pretty big, and my sheer number of AUs proves it -- I’ve played Naprem as a mistress, as the leader of a harem, as a rebel leader, as an Ambassador, as a witch in love with a witch hunter, etc. I’m more than willing to rp angst, emotional manipulation and abuse. I pretty much only draw the line at sexual abuse and rape. 

HOW LARGE DOES THE AGE GAP HAVE TO BE TO MAKE IT UNCOMFORTABLE?: I think I telegraphed my disdain for huge age gaps pretty clearly when I made Naprem as close in age to Skrain as she is. Skrain’s old by human standards, but Naprem is solidly in Bajoran middle age, which is also old by human standards, and I did that on purpose. I didn’t want her youth to factor into their already very unbalanced power dynamic. It’s bad enough without being outright predatory. Basically, age gaps make me uncomfortable when someone in a relationship is closer to childhood than they are to the age of the person they’re seeing. And that’s not universal (since I rp with a lot of immortals, who kind of jump that line) but it is fairly consistent.

ARE YOU SELECTIVE WHEN SHIPPING?: With most characters, no. With Naprem...yes. Very. Her singular, deep love for Dukat is a huge part of her character, and I’ve never been able to ship her with anyone else in an organic way. I’m very open to one-sided, unreciprocated ships with her, but she’s a one-man kind of girl, and I’ve made my peace with that. Sorry y’all. :/

HOW FAR DO STEAMY MOMENTS HAVE TO GO BEFORE THEY’RE CONSIDERED NSFW?: Just to be safe, I put most stuff past “kissing with all their clothes on” under a cut. I rp at work, so I’m more conservative about when and how aggressively I cut and tag stuff that you wouldn’t want your boss reading over your shoulder. I also list trigger warnings in the body of the post, because I don’t want people to get blindsided if they’re on mobile and can’t blacklist their triggers.

WHO ARE OTHER MUSES YOU SHIP YOUR MUSE WITH?: Shout out to @skrain400babiesdukat who has my love and loyalty always. I also ship her (one-sided) with an OC I’ve waved around before -- a guy named Dejaa Renul -- who used to be the captain of her personal security detail. Honestly, I ship her a little with Kira Meru too, but I’ve never found another Meru player after @kinkyfuckeryoftas.

DOES ONE HAVE TO ASK TO SHIP WITH YOU?: Yes. Obviously, Dukat players can kind of expect to hop right in, but I really need to have some time to establish what shared history we’re working with. With anyone else, you’re more than welcome to pitch me on what you’re thinking. I’m not saying I’ll never ship Naprem with anyone but Skrain, but I haven’t yet. So if you’re interested, let me know what you’re thinking. But definitely don’t jump right into it without asking.

HOW OFTEN DO YOU LIKE TO SHIP?: With Naprem, the answer is “not very often.” This isn’t true with my other characters, but Naprem’s central relationship is intrinsic to her character. So...not very often.

ARE YOU MULTISHIP?: Not really on this account.

ARE YOU SHIP OBSESSED OR SHIP MORE-OR-LESS?: Ship obsessed. With that one ship. #otp hell (But honestly please just give my girl some real relationships with nuance and evolution and plot? I vastly prefer that.)

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE SHIP IN YOUR CURRENT FANDOM?: Naprain 4 lyfe

FINALLY, HOW DOES ONE SHIP WITH YOU?: Naturally, organically, when we’ve established history and chemistry! Let the ship evolve, my child. If it’s meant to be, it will be. (My muse is demi, so it takes her a lot of time to feel attracted to people. Give her time.)

TAGGED BY: @msgold63 TAGGING: @drorah-walks, @defectivevorta-and-changeling, @astrohistoria, @skrain400babiesdukat, @astralmedic

[fiveexclamations]

Fic Title Doppelganger Author Me Fandom Star Trek DS9 Pairings Kira Nerys/Akellan Macet, background Kira Nerys/Odo, other background pairings. Rating M Warnings Violence, mild smut, minor character death (relaunch novels. Timeline Woven in and around the relaunch novels Notes Bit of cross posting as I re-read and edit Disclaimer Just for fun, not making any money. Chapter One - The devil you don't know "Colonel!" Kira Nerys closed her eyes for a moment, fighting down a wave of... what? It wasn't revulsion, or hatred, it was more like... confusion. Like a Bajoran Timpani band crashing about in her head with emotions for instruments. She squared her shoulders and turned. There it was, the face that went with that voice, uncannily like Gul Dukat, yet with disconcerting differences; looking at him felt like re-visiting a place you once knew well and finding new trees had grown and new houses had been built. It was horribly uncomfortable. She drew a deep breath. "What can I do for you Gul Macet?" Equally disconcerting as his appearance was his manner, a slight hesitancy whenever he was in her presence, that was so alien to a façade she associated with endless arrogance and a constant invasion of both her physical and mental personal space. "I apologise for accosting you," he said, his voice even, almost indifferent. "I have a message from Ambassador Lang; she wonders if you would join her for dinner this evening in her quarters, at 20:00 hours?" Kira raked a hand through her hair, trying to form a diplomatic reply. As far as it went she quite liked the Ambassador, admired her even, but everything was complicated by First Minister Shakaar and his blocking of peace talks with the Cardasians. However much Kira disapproved she needed to consider carefully any social engagement that might give her old lover an excuse to question her impartiality when she tackled him on the subject, but... A little ball of anger and anxiety started to roll in her belly when she thought about what Second Minister Asarem Wadeen had told her about Shakaar's manipulation of the peace talks; should she worry about the opinion of a man who was betraying Bajor's best interest to suit some convoluted plan of revenge? Especially when he'd left her to the wolves when she was attainted by the Vedek Assembly? Sadly, she realised that she had more faith in a Cardassian she'd met only a few times then she did in her own planet's leader and worse, her ex lover. With a start she realised she'd been staring silently over Macet's shoulder, probably with her emotions playing out across her face if his polite but faintly bemused expression was anything to go by. Again, she had that warped sense of seeing two people at once; Gul Dukat would be smirking at her distraction, stepping into her space, his breath on her cheek, his proximity crawling up and down her skin and in through her eyes and mouth to churn through her veins, making her so, so angry. Macet shifted his weight and coughed, snapping Kira back to herself again; she found her hands had balled into fists and felt a blush creep up her neck, under her uniform. If the Gul noticed he gave no sign and ridiculously that made her crosser still. However, her new role came with new responsibilities and new expectations, including that she would not punch diplomats even when she couldn't control her feelings around them. She forced her hands to relax and nodded stiffly, "Please tell the Ambassador I'd be delighted." He looked at her silently, for a long moment, then nodded courteously and turned away. She watched him go, crossing the bridge above the promenade, looking about him with interest. It was another difference between the cousins; Dukat had rarely looked at his surroundings, probably from sheer self-absorption. However much their surface was alike, somehow she was going to have to accept that under the skin, Skrain Dukat and Akellen Macet were very different men. Either that or the later was a very good actor. ... Kira had carefully considered what to wear for her dinner with Ambassador Lang. She wanted to show the woman the respect she deserved, which normally meant dress uniform, but at the same time she did not want this meal to be viewed as a diplomatic meeting; essentially, she wanted to send a clear message that this was a social visit. Accordingly she choose an outfit from her limited supply of formal off duty wear, a loose pair of trousers of a silky fabric and a fitted, crossover top in a rougher texture and a darker, woody purple shade that Jadzia had once said contrasted nicely with her hair. Rummaging in a cupboard, she found a bottle of aged spring wine that someone had given her at the last gratitude festival, to take as an offering, and taking a deep breath, set off for Ambassador Lang's quarters. The downside of her casual dress was that it caught the attention of everyone she passed; Colonel Kira out of uniform was a rare sight and people tended to double take and notice the bottle in her hand. Finally, when she reached the door of the Ambassador's quarters and pressed the chime, she was in clear view of two Bajoran security men, a Bajoran woman she recognised from one of the shops on the promenade and of course the Cardassian guard standing outside the door. Word would certainly get around. "Enter." Kira nodded out of politeness to the Cardassian guard, who ignored her, and stepped through the opening door. Only as the door shushed shut behind her did she realise that the voice had not been the musical cadence of Ambassador Lang, but the far more masculine and familiar tones of Gul Macet. She froze just inside the door; the Gul was sitting in the window, his impassive gaze upon her, apparently just disturbed from a little star gazing. Kira looked around searching for any sigh of Natima, but unless she was hiding in the bedroom, perhaps waiting to jump out and shout "surprise", she was not there. She shot a look of enquiry at Macet, pushing down the automatic adrenaline rush that came from being enclosed with a Cardassian in uniform, never mind one who looked like him, until she heard what he had to say. He stood up slowly, almost carefully, making no move to close the distance between them. "Ambassador Lang sends her apologies; she has just received several communications from our government and has had to go to our ship to decode them. She will join us as soon as she can and has asked me to entertain you in the meantime." He gestured to a table, set to one side, with places for three. On the sideboard a variety of dishes and drinks, mostly Cardassian and Bajoran were waiting. Kira's natural instinct was to turn on her heel and walk out, but she stopped herself; this was not Dukat. This man had never commanded an internment camp, or a mining station. This man had spent every year, of every military campaign he had been involved in, on his ship, obeying the commands of people like Dukat; he had killed Bajorans, ship against ship, soldier against soldier, but never preaching that subjugation was for their own good; hating him for his war record would be preposterously hypocritical. This man had joined Damar's rebellion; this man had worked for peace with Captain Picard. This man had spoken up against his own government, when that was a dangerous thing to do and somehow survived it. She knew all this because she'd read every scrap of information the Bajoran militia and the Federation had on him. It behoved her to treat him with some respect, and caution of course. She tilted the bottle in her hand to show him the label. "Where shall I put this?" ... The food was very good. Macet managed to be courteous without fussing; he didn't pull out her seat, or insist on fetching her food, but he did wait until she had served herself before filling his own plate, and when he realised that she hadn't sat down he politely indicated that she should choose her own seat. "Does Ambassador Lang have anything specific she wishes to talk to me about?" asked Kira, before taking a bite of Mapa bread spread with a delicate fish pate. Macet paused and seemed to consider the question, "I don't think so. I think she just wanted a change of company." Kira cocked her head on one side, "What about you, how do you find the company aboard the station?" "I find very little company at all, as I'm sure you have noticed. I try and stay out of sight, except for when it's strictly necessary." The Gul compressed his lips, "As we have discussed, my face hardly evokes pleasant memories for the inhabitants of this station." Kira nodded. "How do you feel about that?" she asked bluntly, wanting to see his reaction. Macet lowered his forkful of Veklava on to his plate. "I feel it is understandable. I feel it is kinder to stay out of the way when I am not needed but I feel no compunction in being visible when it is needed. For example, I am aware that I make you uncomfortable, but I feel no need to do anything about it. I am not Dukat." For the first time she heard irritation in his voice, well controlled, but still there. She raised her eyes from her plate and met his steady, cool blue ones, so unusual in a Cardassian. Ironically, his emotion reassured her more than his careful impassivity had. She felt herself flush, "I'm sorry," she said, with her sometimes devastating candour. "I wish I could separate your face from, from him." The Gul took a sip of red leaf tea, "I am open to suggestions Colonel." Kira thought for a moment, "Tell me about your family?" "My Father came from Lakat. He met my mother at the University of Culat, where he was studying military science and she was studying medicine. As the sixth of eight children and the third of three daughters, she had such a small dowry that she wasn't expected to marry. So, she used it to study for a career. My father," Macet smiled into his cup, "defied his own parents, who were determined that he would make a good match, and married her as soon as they had both graduated and three days before he was due to ship out on a three month mission." Macet raised unguarded eyes to look at Kira, she could see his pride in his parents shining from him. "I was born ten months later. My father left the military and became a professor of tactics at a provincial university, where farmer's sons went in the hope of becoming soldiers and escaping the plough. My mother became a surgeon at the local hospital. I have one sister." He paused and cocked his head on one side, as if inviting her to comment. "That's a small family for a Cardassian couple," obliged Kira. Macet nodded, seemingly satisfied. "Intentionally so, my parents disagreed with the Cardassian tradition of large families. They considered it incompatible with our planet's lack of resources, that it fostered an overly militaristic agenda." "Oh." Kira frowned and started pushing some Rigellian paka beans around her plate, thinking about what he was telling her. It was all consistent with what she had read in his file, but still interesting. "What about you, are you married? Any children?" Again, she asked a question she essentially knew the answer to. "Yes, I am married. We have no children." "I'm sorry," said Kira, honestly. Macet raised a brow ridge. "Sorry? Why?" She gave him a startled look, "I thought all Cardassians were desperate to have children?" He smiled grimly, "My wife does not want children. At first because she wanted to wait until my career was established and later... let us just say, we grew apart." "I'm sorr-," Kira broke off realising that she was repeating herself, "I see." "No need to be sorry Colonel," responded Macet cheerfully. "She is happy pursuing her artistic interests. I believe her current lover is a member of the Cardassian arts council, and considering what little art is left intact on Cardassia I should imagine he has a lot of time for her," he gave the Colonel a tight, dry little smile. "More time than I ever did. I, until the beginning of Damar's rebellion, had had a long term relationship with my ship's science officer." Kira tried to hide her surprise, "What happened?" "She didn't want to join the rebellion and left my ship." His expression became a little sad, "I have not been able to find her since. Though I have no interest in resuming our relationship I would like to know if she survived." Kira topped up her wine glass. "War hardly promotes a stable love life," her mind drifted to Odo and resolutely turned away. "No Colonel, it does not." He sipped his tea again. "May I ask you a question?" "Of course," she shrugged; he had probably read her file too. "Were you and my cousin ever in a romantic relationship?" She choked on her spring wine. "No!" she finally managed to splutter, after Macet had slapped her on the back, immediately withdrawing to a polite distance when it was obvious she wasn't in any danger. "Why would you... Who said we were..." her face twisted in distaste, "romantic?" she spat the word like a curse. He shrugged, "I met my cousin from time to time and on the last few occasions," he thought for a moment, "over the last four or five years I think, more in the early part of that period, he spoke of you. Though he never actually said you were intimate, it was clear that he was interested in that outcome and your discomfort around me... I wasn't sure whether that was causing it," he shrugged again. "He might have been interested, but..." Kira paused and took a deep breath through her nose. "He made, overtures, I suppose. I never seriously thought that he really expected me to give in to them. I always assumed it was to throw me off balance, to put me on the back foot." She huffed irritably, "Did you know that my mother was one of his women? I only found out a couple of years ago, and it wasn't like he had a chance before but..." she pulled a face as her stomach churned at the thought. Macet's expression mirrored hers, "No. However it does not surprise me. I doubt if it would be any comfort to you, but for a time my wife was also one of his women." Kira flumped back into her chair, her mouth hanging open, the situation was just so ridiculous; here she was having dinner with the image of Gul Dukat, discussing Gul Dukat's love life. She snorted and then, inappropriately, started to giggle. Her host raised his brow ridges but let her laugh without interruption, which emphasised just how unlike Dukat he was. Dukat's pride would have been lacerated; Macet seemed at most, faintly irritated. Finally, a soft chirrup made her jump and hiccup into silence. Macet stood up and crossed to the other side of the room, where a Cardassian pad lay on a table. He grunted in surprise, "A message from Natima, the communications are taking more time than she envisioned and she will be staying aboard our ship all night. She apologises for being such a poor host and hopes I am looking after you adequately. His eyes strayed to the table where both their plates were relatively untouched. "I'm not sure I can reassure her on that point." Kira looked up at him and held out her glass. "Give me some more wine and I'll see if I can do some justice to this meal." He gave her the suggestion of a smile, the first one she recalled seeing on his face. "Very well Colonel." "Call me Nerys, your cousin used to do it without my permission. Think how annoyed he'd be that I've invited you to." His mouth twitched, "And I am Akellan," he said gravely, topping up her glass. ... Akellan Macet turned out to be good and surprisingly easy company. By mutual, if unspoken agreement they moved away from personal topics and discussed some issues of command. This led Macet to tell an amusing story about reversing a Galor Class spaceship into a Napean space station, causing a serious diplomatic incident; Kira caped this by telling him about the time she accidentally dropped a delicate bomb into the sewage system of a small Cardassian Military base, causing every toilet in the building to explode simultaneously and catching the base Commander at a most inconvenient moment. Macet roared at that and she couldn't help laughing with him. He stopped laughing first, fixing his disconcerting, light eyes on her face. His intentness stilled and quieted her. Suddenly she was wary; there was a tension about him that she wasn't used to. "What?" He didn't answer her immediately, but sat turning a Moba fruit over and over in his hands, his eyes on her face, "Why did take so much responsibility for Ziyall?" Kira shook her head, not because she didn't understand the question, but because she didn't understand why he was asking it. "Because she was innocent. She didn't deserve to be scorned by Cardassians or Bajorans, because of the accident of her birth." "But it connected you to Dukat," he said reasonably. "That must have been very difficult when you hated him so much." Kira shook her head again, "You don't understand, I hated what he did. There were times when I could, would have killed him to stop it. He made me so angry, no-one has ever made me angrier. Not just because of what he did, but because of the tiny moments when you could see what he could be. He gave up everything for Ziyall, he put her first, he actually cared about her mother. However appalling the relationship was when it started, however he might have deluded himself when he said she loved him, I believe he loved her, as much as he was able. I think that when he said he wanted the best for the Bajoran people he actually believed it. She dragged in a deep breath, "He was deluded and arrogant and self absorbed. In those rare moments when he was at his best he thought he was at his worst, but he wasn't true evil, not until the end, not until after Ziyall died, I believe that, I really do." She realised that she was standing and that she'd been punctuating her words with jabbing fingers. Her hands dropped and she swayed a little, lost in confusion and for a fleeting second she wondered just how much wine she had drunk. She took an unsteady step around the table, choosing to enter Macet's space, something he had never done to her; he had always maintained a wary distance, always moving away rather than towards her, whenever he had the choice. "Why aren't you like him?" She asked, like a child asking why the sky isn't green. He didn't answer immediately, just stood up and looked down at her, his usually flat blue eyes tumultuous, "Because I am not him." He stepped backwards, putting distance between them again. "I must go Colonel; it's getting late. I'm sure the Ambassador will not mind if you show yourself out." Without a backward glance he turned and left. Kira watched him go, jaw hanging. She took a few, hasty steps as if to follow him, span back and kicked over her chair. She huffed out a breath and glared at her tipped seat. What the hell was going on? What had she been doing?