#dukat was the prefect right

[skybson]

1x12 - Battle Lines

[velvetvexations]

Mostly unrelated to what I was saying but people who believe Dukat was right until the writers derailed his arc into Satanism are wild. Yes, his arc took a swerve towards outward turbo-evil, but only because people weren't getting the message. As early as the second season it was established his last act as prefect was to deliberately strand Cardassian children on Bajor so that years later he would be able to use it to embarrass a political rival, what are you TALKING about.

[all-the-fun-of-the-cirkus]

okay, so.

waltz.

rarely have i watched an episode and immediately come here to talk about, but i have a lot of thoughts i need to get out

so firstly, the title. obviously a callback to duet from the first series (still the best single chunk of star trek i've seen yet). that one was a two-hander between kira and marritza, the former already having condemned the cardassian and the latter struggling to work through what he did in the occupation, and this is the same with sisko and dukat. except marritza felt genuine remorse, accepted he was wrong, and that's what dukat can never do

he's awful, i know, but he's a fantastic character, because he is a character. he has a sense of humour, soft spots, humanising (so to speak) moments, he's a real, fleshed out person, who just happens to be, as sisko says, true evil. and that works because he truly, genuinely believes he isn't. and what's more, he needs everyone to see that too. we saw that with his relationship with kira, his banter with sisko, his constant bemoaning that the bajorans didn't accept him, it wasn't just posturing, or pr, he genuinely needs to be liked, and he can't understand why people don't, because as far as he's concerned, as people so often point out, he's the hero of the story in his own mind, and he can't be wrong

that's played out superbly in his hallucinations here; weyoun is his cold and clinical side, dumar his arrogance and pride, kira his doubt and self-loathing, and they criticise and needle him throughout, but in the end, crucially, they're all telling him the exact same thing - what he really thinks

and what he wants to hear is that he's the good guy, which is where the political metaphor gets interesting. this whole time i've interpreted the occupation of bajor as a holocaust allegory, obviously, the cardassians are the nazis, bajorans jews. and that is of course a big part of it, but the connection i didn't make until now is the british empire

dukat's big speech is fully "white man's burden," the bajorans as savages centuries behind cardassia, following backwards religion, no technology, who clearly needed civilising by their superiors, bringing into the light, and dukat was the kind father helping guide them into the light. and he really believes it's for the best! he tells himself he doesn't despise them, that he doesn't want to wipe them off the face of the galaxy, it's their fault for being too stupid to appreciate him, to see what he's trying to do for them, how he only wants to help them if they'd only stop resisting and submit to those who know better than they do

part of this is that he insists that he's "one of the good ones," that another prefect would have been harsher, crueler. and this is where it gets interesting, because he's probably right. a leader who didn't care about being liked might have killed more bajorans, worked them harder, starved them more, executed them more. dukat may, indeed, have been the lesser of the evils, and that's not really in dispute. what's really compelling about this is that the story never lets this be an excuse. so death rates dropped by 20%? that's great! why didn't they drop by 100%? so labour camp output dropped by 50%? cool, you were still keeping people in labour camps and enslaving them

and i find that uncomfortably compelling in the current climate. i'm not american, but i see full well what's going on there, and it disgusts me. because there's several genocides going on right now, and i'm going to focus on palestine, because the democrats are gleefully funding that genocide and protecting its perpetrators from any repercussions, brutally coming down on any protests. and when people understandably say "hey what the fuck," they remember there's an election this year and go "well is the republicans were in power this genocide would be way worse! you gotta pick the lesser of two evils!" and you know what? they're right! the genocide would probably worse if the republicans were in power! but the democrats committing a less-bad genocide doesn't mean they aren't still committing genocide! because the lesser of two evils is still evil, and sometimes there's no shade of grey

[jimintomystery]

DS9: "Civil Defense"

ATTENTION BAJORAN WORKERS: The crew of Deep Space Nine has inadvertently tripped a Cardassian failsafe left behind by Gul Dukat, the former prefect of the station. To prevent a Bajoran uprising, key systems will require Cardassian access codes. Any attempt to bypass these codes will activate security countermeasures, including the self-destruct sequence.

For my money this is one of the better episodes of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Most of the superior candidates are entrenched in long-term storytelling, but if you just want to kill an hour with the DS9 gang in a very DS9 story, you can't beat "Civil Defense." I like when a Star Trek show does stories that wouldn't work on the other Star Trek shows, and this premise gets right to the heart of "we moved into a secondhand space station without kicking the tires."

The problem-solving here is top-notch. I especially like that Commander Sisko almost immediately tries to convince the program that the "Bajoran workers" have surrendered, because why not? Another great bit is Jake Sisko panicking while trying to find a way out of ore processing, and his father calmly advising him to relax, even as the room is about to be flooded with poison gas.

Of course, things really get cooking once the real Dukat answers his own prerecorded distress signal. This is the first time we've seen Dukat since "The Maquis, Part II," when the Cardassians threw him under the bus and he owed his life (and a chance to salvage his career) to Sisko. Evidently he's recovered from all that, to the point that he feels comfortable swaggering onto the station looking to take over. A bit jarring, but totally worth it when he activates another failsafe his boss left in case he tried to desert his post. The look on Dukat's face when he realizes he just played himself is priceless.

The solution is a little flimsy, but I'll accept it. I don't understand how overloading the power supply grid would turn off the force fields but somehow turn on communications. But I like the poetic justice of thwarting Dukat's program by using a different lethal security measure that's unaffected because Starfleet disconnected it when they moved in. And instead of the usual race against time to abort the self-destruct sequence, Sisko ends up letting it happen but redirecting the energy into the station's shields (which are active for some reason). I assume that means Dukat's program released its lockouts, because it thinks the station is destroyed, or something like that. But a win is a win.

[deepspacedukat]

I’m gonna have to send 2 asks. One is for bingo, the other is not.

Bingo:

Weyoun (whichever gives your boat the most buoyancy), Damar, Shran, Jorik, Soval, Dukat, and Sarek. If that’s not too many ooops.

-Horta-in-Charge

Oh sure! No problem, friend! I look forward to your other ask as well! Ooooh, this is a good, eclectic mix of blorbos. 👀 Since there’s several of these, I’m gonna pop this under a readmore.

Weyoun 6 (the bestest boy):

Damar (Just A Guy™):

Shran (I NEED TO KNOW WHERE HE STORES THE ANGY. IS IT IN THE ANTENNAS??? OR DO THEY JUST WIGGLE TO BRING JOY TO OTHERS??):

Jorik (I physically cannot be normal about my own OC. *puts him in a blender and takes a sip* Hm, tastes like inferiority complex. Good, but I better add more sexual repression...just to be safe. *Upends the whole box*):

Soval (grumpy Vulcan grumPY VULCAN GRUMPY VULCAN GRU–):

Dukat (Aww, who’s a good dictator? Who’s a good, ickle bitty Evil Lizard Prefect Man??? That’s right, you are!! 🥰🖤 *excited lizard-with-a-praise-kink noises*):

Sarek (TOS version, because Mark Lenard; He literally looked at one Human woman and was like “😍 Her. She’s mine.” He’s so insane for that and I love him deeply.):

[k0rr1g4n]

There’s no right answer. The series bible says Dukat was in his forties at the start of the show, although he likely reached his fifties during the course of the series. He’s also said to have been Prefect for the last 10 years of Bajor's occupation. However, the writers messed up the timeline in 'Wrongs Darker,' showing him as having been Prefect for at least 23 years, which would make him much older.

In my headcanon, he's in his fifties and the events of 'Wrongs Darker' didn’t actually happen.

I seriously don't know how old he is, there so many different answers.

[novakspector]

GARAK: Don't give up on me now, Doctor. Patience has its rewards. Now listen carefully. Elim wasn't my aide. He was my... friend. We grew up together. We were closer than brothers. For some reason, Enabran Tain took a liking to us. Before long, we were both powerful men in the Obsidian Order. They called us the Sons of Tain. Even the Guls feared us. And then there was a scandal. Someone in the Order was accused of letting some Bajoran prisoners escape. There were constant rumours of who was going to be implicated. Fingers were being pointed at me. By then Tain had retired to the Arawath Colony. He couldn't protect me, so I panicked. I did everything in my power to make sure that Elim was accused instead of me. I altered records, planted evidence, only to discover that he'd beaten me to it.

BASHIR: He betrayed you first?

GARAK: Elim destroyed me. Before I knew what was going on, I was sentenced to exile. And the irony is, I deserved it. Oh, not for the reasons they claimed, but because of what I had tried to do to Elim, my best friend.

_____________

I always thought that this made-up story was Garak talking about him and Tain. In his story, Enabran is actually “Elim.” Enabran was the one who was his “friend.” I think it not so subtly implied that Garak and Tain were closer than friends. I never expected them to come right out and say it, but I remember thinking Garak and Tain were exes. 

I think the writers only decided much later to make Tain be Garak’s father. That reveal never made sense to me, the actors are only 10-15 years apart in age. To me, Tain never looked old enough to be Garak’s father. When you look back on this episode, it makes even less sense to make them related. It makes more sense for Tain to be a slightly older guy who took Garak under his wing at the Obsidian Order and they became involved with each other, and had a falling out when they were forced to betray one another. That’s where Garak get his paranoia and trust issues from, it’s not some sort of “racial trait” of all the Cardassians.

And to go off on a tangent it seems like a lot of people who write fanfic and stuff, tend to take Garak’s behavior and attitudes as somehow emblematic of Cardassians as a species but I don’t think so. He’s more molded by having been raised to be in the Obsidian Order, having been exiled. Just like Dukat is molded by having been prefect of Bajor and gets his tendency to be megalomaniacal and speak in long monologues from that. I would say the average Cardassians are probably more like Ulani and Gilora and Damar. Garak and Dukat are actually unreliable narrators on the topic of what Cardassians are like since their life experiences were so extreme compared to the average person. It’s like if you wanted to get a sense of what humans are like as a species, you wouldn’t limit your sample size to someone who was raised all their life to be a torturer or a military warlord.

[geekthefreakout]

Shifting Perspective: A Coda to "Things Past"

AN: Garak's growth is one of the most fascinating things to me. I always thought this episode must have had a profound effect on him, but of course the show did not explore it, so I'm going to. That said, be aware of colonialist thinking, an oppressors perspective of oppression, and of Garak SLOWLY coming to realize that the occupation of Bajor was bad, actually. If these things bother you, proceed with caution.

Garak should have been working on Ensign Barrows' new suit. He had the material in front of him, the cuts already made. A simple matter, really, to sew them together now.

But he couldn't stop thinking. Tain would despair of him, he knew. A disciplined mind should not be so easily distracted. Yet he couldn't seem to wretch his mind away from the Bajoran whose place he had taken when he was brought into Odo's guilt ridden mind. The man unjustly killed, who had been doing nothing more than trying to survive.

He'd known, of course, about the conditions on Terok Nor. He'd come through now and again prior to his exile, completing some duty or another. And then, of course, he'd set up his shop in the last few years, never realizing that it was meant to be permanent until Dukat's smug, sneering face had passed along the order as the rest of the Cardassians were pulling out. He'd been aware, in a distant sort of way, of the injustices wrought by his people. Of the deaths, not just from executions which might have been just, but from starvation and exhaustion. He hadn't allowed himself to give it much thought then.

The Bajorans were ungrateful. So he'd told himself, so many others in his line of work said. Cardassia had given them new technology, taught them how to keep records, improved their ability to travel through space. Cardassia wished to free them from their superstitions, to elevate them, and all that was asked in return was that they serve the Union. And what higher honor was there than service to the State?

Never mind that they'd not asked for any of it. Never mind that Bajorans were not granted unrestricted use of that technology. Never mind that they did not want to be free from their faith, nor serve a state which was not their own.

If they'd stopped fighting, things would have been better. This was the line fed to everyone, Cardassian and Bajoran alike, by Central Command. By the Order. By Prefects like Dukat, who claimed to long for a gentler time, where Bajor and Cardassia would be true allies. How wonderful things could have been, if the Bajorans had simply surrendered to a superior people and accepted the gifts Cardassia had to offer.

But now, having lived in the shoes of a Bajoran on Terok Nor... how could they not fight? How could they not want their freedom? How could they even have begun to appreciate the gifts given to them by his people when his people were also responsible for such suffering? Was the superior technology and advanced culture of Cardassia worth the price they paid in blood and tears?

Garak winced as he stabbed himself with his needle, and quickly pulled his hand back before blood stained his product. Vexed, he dropped the needle on the work table and applied pressure to his finger, his scales quickly closing over the wound.

Was service to Cardassia worth the price to Bajor? Was it... even within Cardassia's rights to have demanded it? He'd never allowed himself to think it, at least not so clearly. It was almost a treasonous line of thought.

But then, he was already an exile. What more could they do to him for thinking?

He thought back to the conference he had attended before the incident with Odo. Thought about how he'd talked effusively about the good that had come from the occupation. Oh, he'd known he was inciting anger, not least in the Major. He did delight in stirring the pot. But so much of what he'd said rang hollow.

He thought about the war with the Klingons, how it had left Cardassia laid low. How he'd been willing to fight alongside even Skrain Dukat in defense of his people. How he grudgingly (very very grudgingly) approved of the former gul's decision to take a Klingon bird of prey and and harass the Klingons occupying Cardassian space.

It was less than what the Bajorans did. He wished it was more.

"Garak." A sharp voice brought him out of his reverie. Looking up, he was startled to find Major Kira at his counter. He'd been so deep in thought, he hadn't even heard his shop door open.

Sloppy, Elim. Dangerous. He pulled his customer service face on.

"Ah, Major Kira! What can I do for you?"

Kira scowled at him, as she often did, arms folded across her chest.

"There's going to be a memorial for the three men who were murdered. Ziyal wants to attend, but doesn't have anything appropriate to wear."

"I see." Garak shoved his discomfort firmly aside as he moved from behind his workbench to join the Major in the main part of the shop. "Well, certainly I'd be pleased to help the young lady. Though I will admit, it is easier to clothe someone who is actually here to approve!"

"I'll approve, or I won't. I don't trust you around her, Garak." Kira said.

For a moment, Garak thought that was unfair. Then he remembered how, in Odo's memories, Dukat had stolen Dax away for undoubtedly nefarious purposes. He thought of Ziyal's very existence, and knew that whatever claim of love Dukat had made (and true, it was quite a statement to acknowledge his bastard half-breed as his daughter, and did cost him his rank), Tora Naprem was as much a victim of Dukat's ego and lewd intentions as Dax, or the Bajoran Dax had taken the place of, would have been. Dukat had not been the only one to behave that way.

"I understand." He said at last, moving to a rack where he kept dresses cut in Bajoran style. "For whatever my word is worth though, Major--"

"Not much." Kira said flatly. He tipped his head towards her in acknowledgement, but continued.

"Nevertheless. I want you to know I have no intentions towards Ziyal. When she approached me, I was wary, but the girl seems to simply want the company of another Cardassian on occasion- a desire I can empathize with. But be assured." Here he turned to meet Kira's steely gaze with his own. "While she is a lovely and sweet young lady, I would never touch her or treat her in the way you fear. She is young enough to be my daughter. Younger, even. It would be entirely inappropriate, regardless of what she thinks she wants. I would engage her in conversation, teach her the history of her people. Nothing more. Ziyal has nothing to fear from me."

Kira did not reply to this, but tilted her own head in acknowledgement. That was likely the best he would get. Garak pulled a dress from the rack and held it up for Kira's inspection.

"The material may be unconventional for a Bajoran memorial, but I believe the cut will suffice."

"This cloth is from Cardassia." Kira observed as she rubbed the sleeves between her fingers.

"From the colonies. But yes. It feels more substantial against the scales than the lighter material favored by your people, something which Ziyal may appreciate. And I believe the color will suit her skin nicely."

"When you say you would teach Ziyal her people's history, I suppose you mean feeding her lies about how just the occupation was."

The sudden change in topic threw Garak, and he took a moment to hang the dress over a mirror to regain his composure. He took another moment to formulate his answer.

"When it comes to matters of the Occupation, I feel you would be a better teacher than I." He said at last.

Kira raised her eyebrows. Surprised, but not disagreeing. Garak thought again of the man he had been, the man who had been executed. Murdered. He thought of Terok Nor, and of Deep Space Nine, and of the fight for freedom that had enveloped Kira's entire young life, and felt a sudden and alarming urge to be honest. He began tamping the urge down (and really, honesty was a dangerous thing-- look at all the honest thinking he'd been doing and how poorly it had served him), but one traitorous thought-- she deserves to hear it-- made itself known. Garak surrendered.

"Major, I feel I must apologize." Kira said nothing, but her face betrayed her curiosity. He continued. "When I first became aware of you, you must know that I recognized your strength immediately. You are a leader, a fighter. Resourceful and determined. Truly, you are to be admired."

"Where are you going with this, Garak?" Kira asked, unimpressed by the flattery.

"At the conference this past week I spoke of the good that had come from the Occupation. Bajor's advancing technology, clever use of resources--"

"You really don't need to say it again." The scowl was back.

"I had thought of you the same way." Garak plowed forward, now filled with a need to get this out. "A deadly weapon, forged in the fires of the Occupation. You wouldn't be as sharp as you are if you hadn't had us to fight." Kira's scowl was shifting to something far angrier. "But I realize now, after my... experience with Odo... that it doesn't matter."

Kira drew up short, her anger cooling as confusion took its place.

"It does not matter that the Occupation made you a better fighter, a more decisive leader. It does not matter because you should not have had to be these things. You did not ask for the fire that forged you, Major. None of your people did. And as I find it very unlikely that an apology will be forthcoming from my people at any point in our lifetimes, it falls to me." He met Kira's gaze again, an oddly calm, empty feeling filling his chest. "I am sorry, Major. We were wrong."

Kira stared at Garak for a long moment, then turned back to the dress.

"It's too long." She said at last. "Ziyal will step on it every time she walks."

"Easy enough to fix." Garak said, grateful for the moment to have passed. He returned himself to his business, though the empty feeling remained. "I think 5 centimeters off the hem ought to do the trick."

"Well, don't just guess." Kira said, looking at Garak oddly. Half a moment's pause, and then-- "I'll send Ziyal down and you can measure properly. Will you be free in a couple of hours?"

It wasn't forgiveness.

"I have an appointment at 1430, but will otherwise be quite free to tend to the young lady's needs."

"You and Bashir take lunch at 1520 today, don't you? For your book club."

Garak blinked, surprised.

"We do. We will be discussing the poetry of Una Damat. I was unaware that you took interest in my discussions with the Doctor."

"Oh, it's not by choice." Kira's voice was wry, displaying a humor Garak seldom saw. "Bashir won't shut up about it." She considered him a moment longer. "Una Damat is a Cardassian poet."

"Yes. She did most of her writing 60 years ago, though there are a small number of later works."

"Maybe Ziyal can join you for lunch. Sounds like a part of her heritage she should learn about. Then you can take care of the dress. The memorial is in two days."

It wasn't trust. It wasn't absolution.

"Doctor Bashir and I would be more than happy to have her."

Kira nodded, and still looking strangely at Garak, left the store.

It was a start.

[attention-bajoranworkers]

Just this once (and then once again) Part 3/?

Warnings: smut. ❗18+ ONLY. Minors DNI❗

“Someone better be dying.” You say, answering the transmission on the computer in your quarters.

“Well, hello to you too. Nice of you to answer.” Your friend says as you pull your robe tighter around yourself.

“Do you know what time it is?” You ask, letting out a yawn.

“Don’t you guys use San Francisco’s time on your father’s ship?” She asks.

“I’m not on the ship, you dumb bitch.” You explain, making her laugh.

“Alright. Alright. My bad. I forgot you were headed to that… Cardassian space station was it?” She says and you nod. “How’s it like there?”

“Good, if you don’t take into account that everyone her is military personnel.” You explain.

“Met anyone interesting?” She asks curiously.

You did, all right.

“Define interesting.”

“I don’t know, some high rank good looking, ‘here for a good time not a long time’ type of guy.”

“Smooth.” You say and she laughs.

“I can see through you, you just don’t wanna tell me. But I know that smile too well.” She points out.

“Right. Was there any point to tis call other than waking me up at ungodly hours?”

“Yes actually. You’ll be back home next month, right? You need to.” She says as you lean back on the chair.

“I haven’t forgotten about the wedding, don’t worry.” You reassure her. “I’ll be there, and you’ll regret having me as maid of honour.” You tease. “You know how I love an open bar.”

“Pity you won’t bring a plus one.” She says. “Why don’t you ring one of those military men.” She adds making you roll your eyes.

“Are you done?” You ask with a chuckle.

“Yeah, I’ll let you go back to sleep now. We’re just going through confirmations and wanted to make sure you’d make it.” She explains.

“Alright. I’ll see you in a few weeks.” You say with a smile.

“Take care.” She says before the transmission ends.

 You tried to go back to sleep, but to no use and you cursed your friend for it. So you decided to take a shower, get dressed and go for a walk on the promenade before spending some time in one of Quark’s holosuites. He had a great sauna program that seemed to be pretty popular among the Cardassians, so you decided to try it.

It was relaxing since you really liked the heat, but concluded that most people, or humans for that matter, would hate it. They’d probably find it too hot for human standards.

You had lunch at Quark’s and played some Dabo before heading back to your quarters.

“Ah, Damar.” You say rushing to catch up to him when you see him turn the corner.

“Miss Hol-“ He stops mid-sentence when you shoot him a serious look. “Cassie.” He corrects, signalling the Troopers accompanying him to carry on and you smile. “How can I help you?”

“You’ll see,  the Prefect and I- God that sounds way too formal.” You say with a sigh. “Dukat. Dukat and I have some unfinished business.” You explain. “Would you be kind enough to tell me how I could get to his quarters?”

“Sure.” He says with a polite smile.

You walk with him for a while until he stops at a corner.

“It’s this corridor, right past those two guards. They shouldn’t give you any trouble.” He explains.

“You know you could have just told me where his quarters were, right?” You say, an amused smile pulling at your lips.

“I thought you intended to see him now.” He says.

“Maybe later today, but thanks anyway. You’ve been really helpful.” You say smiling brightly at him. “I’ll look for you before leaving the station. Have a last drink with you, now that we’re friends and all that.” You say and there it is again, that cute, amused half-smile of his.

“Have a nice evening, Cassie.” He just says before turning and leaving.

You watch him until he turns another corner and disappears, letting out a soft chuckle, you really liked the guy.

“Hi boys!” You say, waving at Dukat’s guards, who had been observing your interaction with the Glinn since you had arrived.

When you get back to your quarters you take a nap, the activities of the day finally wearing you down, and by the time you wake up it’s already dinner time. You decide to try another Cardassian dish and have some wine.

“Nice of you to check in.” You say when you’re dad’s face pops up on your computer’s screen.

“Hope you’re not having too hard a time on the station.” He replies.

“They’re treating me quite splendidly, actually.” You reassure him. “How’s things on the surface?” You add, sipping your wine.

“Good, better than I expected.” He explains. “I should be back son if business goes as planned.” He adds.

“Good, I’ll see you when you get back, then. Take care, yeah?” You tell him.

“Will do. You too.” The transmission comes to an end as you finish your second glass of wine for the night.

After getting changed you head for the door, stopping in the middle of the corridor and considering if what you were about to do was stupid or not. It was 2300 hours by the station’s computer, and you wondered if he’d still be awake. Before you could rationalize a reason why you’d show up at his door so late at night your feet had already started leading you towards his quarters.

“Boys.” You greet the officers standing guard on his hallway with a smile, walking past them and towards Dukat’s door.

Once you get to it, you chime and await his answer. It is a while before the door slides open and you’re met by a grumpy looking Dukat, still clad in his uniform and looking rather frustrated.

“I can come back.” You say, but his face changes as soon as he sees you.

“Please, do come in.” He says, inviting you in.

You walk past him and hear the door close behind you and take a moment to scan the room. PADDs scattered on the coffee table and a half-full bottle of Kanar beside an empty glass.

“Seriously, I can come back, you do look rather… occupied right now.” You say turning to look at him.

What you were not expecting was him being so close and kissing you as soon as you finished speaking. You moaned into the kiss, tasting the Kanar he had been drinking on his tongue.

“Dukat.” You say softly once he pulls back, your hands on both sides of his face, your eyes scanning his features.

Without saying anything, he leans in for another kiss, gentler this time, his hands pulling you closer by the waist.

“Well, hello to you too.” You say when he finally breaks the kiss, an amused smile on your lips.

“Are you tipsy?” He asks when you start giggling and wrap your arms around his neck.

“Just happy.” You say, smiling widely at him and you notice his features harden. “Dukat, I’m not drunk. I just had a couple glasses of wine at dinner.” You explain letting go of him and moving to sit on his couch. “I’m here because I want to be.” You add pouring yourself some of the Kanar as he sits beside you. “Besides, I thought Damar would have already told you about out little… encounter today.” You continue, moving to straddle him, glass in hand.

“Oh, he told me, all right.” He confirms. “I was starting to wonder when you’d show up.” He adds as you sip the liquor.

“Presumptuous.” You tease before downing the remaining of the drink, earning a laugh from him. A hand on your back steadies you as you turn to place the glass on the table behind you. “Taking for granted I’d show up.” You add turning back to look at him, hands on his shoulders.

“You’re here, aren’t you?” He asks and you bite your lower lip to keep yourself from smiling.

“I can always leave.” You tease and an amused smile pulls at his lips.

“You won’t.” He states and you just look down at him, smiling widely before leaning in to kiss him.

You start kissing along his jaw, making him grunt when you move on to his neck ridges, his grip on your thigh tightening. He pulls you back up and kisses you hungrily.

“This needs to get out of the way.” You say pulling apart and tapping his chest piece, making him chuckle.

You help him unclasp the garment and take it off, finally throwing it off to the side of the couch, running your hands over his tunic, unclasping it, and letting it fall open, allowing you to run your hands down his bare torso. He studies your face as your fingertips trace the indent on his chest and you lean in to kiss along his collarbone, letting out a groan when you focus on the indent itself and making you smile against his skin.

You yelp when he suddenly stands up, picking you up and walking towards the bedroom.

“A little warning would have been nice.” You say as he gently sets you down beside the bed, his hands pushing your cardigan off your shoulders and toying with the straps of your dress before pushing them down your arms, the dress pooling around your feet and leaving you in only your underwear before him.

“You’re beautiful.” He speaks against your skin, kissing along your jaw and neck as you push his tunic off his shoulders.

He walks you backwards, until your legs hit the edge of the bed.

“Get on the bed.” He instructs and you comply kicking your boots off, the hungry look in his eyes making your heart beat faster.

He crawls over you, and you prop yourself on your elbows meeting his lips and throwing your head back as he starts kissing down your body, leaving behind a path of goosebumps and hickeys as he gets closer to the waistband of your underwear.

He pulls the piece of clothing down your legs, leaving you completely bare before him. He kisses his way up one leg, gently biting the inside of your thigh and making you moan, smiling against your skin, clearly pleased with your reaction. Your breath catches when two of his fingers run through your folds before entering you and making you bite back a moan. Your hips buck against his fingers as he sets a steady pace.

“Oh, fuck!” You let out when you feel his mouth on you, his tongue toying with your clit, his fingers brushing that spot inside you that makes your legs quiver. “Dukat.” You say and you’re not sure whether it is a plea or a warning as he brings you closer to your first orgasm by the second. You run a hand through his hair, your hips involuntarily bucking against the arm holding them down, your thighs closing around his head, his satisfied hums adding to the sensation as you finally come, clenching around his fingers, and moaning his name loud enough for the guards outside his quarters to hear, not that you cared at the moment.

You look down at him through hooded eyes as he pulls his fingers out of you and sits back on his sheens, making a show of licking his fingers clean before crawling back up to kiss you, making you moan as you taste yourself on his tongue.

“You still with me?” He asks, his eyes studying your face and you just nod, the satisfied smile on your face making him chuckle. “That’s a good girl.” He praises.

You watch him as he gets off the bed then rids himself of his remaining clothes. You allow yourself to take in the image of him, standing before you in all his glory and an amused smile pulls at his lips when he notices.

“You’re staring.” He teases, making you chuckle lightly.

“You’re putting on a show.” You say and this time it’s his time to chuckle as you push yourself up to a sitting position before crawling closer to the edge of the bed. You pull him in for a kiss when he approaches you, letting out a grunt when you wrap your hand around him, feeling the weight and size of him. One thing was for sure, he wasn’t small. And the thought of having him inside you made you moan into the kiss.

“Fuck me.” You whisper into his ear and the sound he lets out makes you weak at the knees.

He pushes you back down on the bed, his lips claiming yours as he runs the head through your folds before slowly starting to enter you, making you swear out loud when he finally bottoms out.  He lets you get used to him for a few moments, and you walls involuntarily clench around him, making him groan into your neck.

“Move.” You tell him. “Please.” You add, sounding rather desperate and you feel him smile against your skin.

He starts thrusting into you, slowly and gently at first but faster and tougher shortly after, hitting all the right spots and making you feel every inch of him. Your legs wrap around him, pulling him even closer as he turns you into a whimpering mess underneath him.

Before you know it, you’re coming for the second time that night, your nails digging into his back as you ride your orgasm. He fucks you through your high, his orgasm following not long after your own, the warm sensation sending shivers down your spine and the animalistic sound he lets out as he fills you up making your insides melt.

You wince at the loss of him when he pulls out, his lips claiming yours one more time before rolling over and pulling you on top of him.

“Is it true what they say about you Cardassians, that this allows you to sense the emotions of those around you?” You say, your fingers gently tracing his facial ridges and focusing on his forehead indentation.

“Something like that, yes.” He answers looking down at you.

“So, the first time we met, you…” You trail off remembering your first encounter and he chuckles.

“All along.” He confirms, and you feel your cheeks heat up at the thought of him knowing how you felt about him since the first time you two ever met.

“That’s hardly fair, I was at a clear disadvantage.” You joke making him laugh.

“It’s not like I needed it to figure it out. You get flustered quite easily.” He explains. “Rosy cheeks and all.” He adds, teasing you further and you hide your face in the crook of his neck.

Eventually, he gets off the bed and comes back into the bedroom carrying a wet cloth that he uses to gently clean you up before pulling the covers over you. When he gets back in bed you allow yourself to lay with your head on his chest, your legs tangled under the sheets. He starts tracing patterns on your naked back as you slowly fall asleep.

[procaldukat]

Dukat walks into his office, arms fulls of padds, hoping to catch his new assistant Tora Naprem there. She has duties that take her all around the station, but his office is her home base, and if Dukat is Very Lucky, she will have some down time right around now. Dukat spots her, busy in her own padd, and tries to orchestrate a convincing stumble, 'accidentally' dropping his pile of padds on the floor. "Oh, how clumsy of me," he mutters, bending over to pick them up, ass in her face.

Her new position on Terok Nor is drastically different from her former job working in a labor camp moving supplies, and Naprem finds it difficult to be doing and carrying around so much paperwork, adjusting to station life and the Cardassian’s hierarchy. She’s usually quite busy but every so often there’s a reprieve and she can work from the Prefect’s office.

There was just a report to go over that wasn’t worth the Prefect’s time, and then she was free to do her own project, learning from a kardasi reading program. Naprem isn’t sure how she’s managed to get by without admitting she never learned to read or write, not even in Bajoran, but thankfully her hearing is better than a Cardassian’s and her Kardasi comprehension nearly as good as her Bajoran, so she can make her padd read reports aloud without anyone noticing until she figures it out.

She’s surprised that she’s picking it up so easily, and is so absorbed in the teaching program she managed to buy using some of the latinum from her first week’s pay, that she doesn’t notice when Gul Dukat returns to his office until he drops his things and mutters to himself. He’s backward, bent over, so she quickly shuts off her padd to hide the program on display and gets up. “Let me help you, Sir!”

As she kneels down to help gather up the scattered padds, she briefly takes notice of how skinny his legs are. There’s no substance to him underneath his uniform, really.

[sabraeal]

He Who Studies Evil [Part 3/4]

Part 1 | Part 2

A prequel to Wanting Is More Pleasurable Than Having (And Other Things Vulcans Don’t Know a Damned Thing About), written for @bubblesthemonsterartist. Also many thanks to @claudeng80 for reading this over this whole fic for Star Trek mistakes since it had been...many many years since I’d seen a DS9 episode, and memory alpha can only do SO MUCH

It takes a week for the other shoe to drop.

It had only been a matter of time; tensions were high on Terok Nor, and negotiations had slowed to a crawl. Diplomacy had never interested him quite as much as the other subjects at the academy, and every minute he spends in the board room with Gul Dukat and his cronies, he’s reminded of why.

The prefect seems to take great joy in arguing over every concession, over every word, and at times it’s only Sui’s level head that sees them through the meeting without incident. It’s as if the Gul sees this armistice as a wish on a monkey’s paw -- meant to be worded with the utmost care, or else it will come around and bite you in the end.

Haruka groans. There’s probably some Cardassian saying about that too. God knows he’s heard nearly all of them, sitting across from that man.

“Here he is, Ambassador,” the constable tells him, bringing Shidnote forward with a none-too-gentle shove. “I hope, for your sake, cooler heads prevail in the board room.”

“I’ll see to it they do,” Haruka assures him, catching Shidnote around the elbow. “You know young men and their tempers.”

The constable is a strange looking man, features oddly rounded near the nose and brow, but he still manages a glare that make Haruka hope he won’t be dealing with the constabulary again. “No. I do not.”

The room has been silent for minutes now, Shidnote perched on his torture contraption of a bed and Haruka just standing there, hoping a solution would present itself.

“You may have lost us this treaty, you know,” he manages, though that’s hardly his concern. “I understand how you must feel, cooped up with the Gul and his men day after day, but you cannot just pop off at the first overseer that strikes a nerve.”

“Not to put too fine a point on it, sir--” the word comes out twisted, a mockery -- “but you have no idea how I feel.”

Haruka’s mouth thins. He does not miss being this young, not one bit. “I think you will find I know more than you think. You may tell Councilor Wisteria that if she means to scrub a file, she should hire someone with a better grasp of subterfuge.”

That makes Shidnote take notice, finally.

“I know about Lido,” he says, “and I know about Bajor, and I have suspicions about the Kohn-Ma --”

“I didn’t join the Kohn-Ma,” Shidnote grits out. “I was already fighting against butchers, I didn’t need to become one.”

“That, at least, I’m glad to hear.” Haruka sits, taking the chair at the desk. “I suspect you have your orders, though.”

He grimaces, only for a moment, but it’s enough. “Orders? I’m only --”

“It’s no good, Ensign,” he tells him with a bemused wave, “I know the Councilor too well. She sent me on my own secret mission as well.”

“The kid?” Shidnote asks with a wince.

Haruka nods. “The child, yes. Have you heard anything?”

“Just rumor.” The man shrugs, looking uncomfortable in his operations yellow. “I thought I might hear something a Quark’s--”

“The gambling den?”

His shoulders twitch. “You know how it is, men drink there, get sloppy...”

“A little too sloppy, it seems,” Haruka remarks. The boy flinches. “I won’t be able to take you back in the board room.”

“Oh no,” Shidnote deadpans. “Please. No. You can’t.”

“All right, all right.” He’d laugh, if there were any humor left in him, but Terok Nor has drowned the last of it right out. “Enough of that. There’s no need for theatrics.” He fixes him with a warning look. “I do, however, expect you to stay in your quarters until further notice.”

“But--”

“You may continue your inquiries as long as you take Sui,” Haruka tells him, enjoying the way the ensign’s jaw drops.

“Sui?” he squeaks, incredulous. “But he couldn’t be subtle if the Federation depended on it.”

“You’ll take him anyway. He needs the practice if he wants to go into command.” Haruka gives him a sharp smile. “And besides, I think he’ll be a good influence on you. Now if you’ll excuse me,” he says, creaking up to standing, “I think I have a Ferengi to apologize to.”

He, of course, does not apologize to the Ferengi. Firstly, because the man runs a gambling establishment of dubious legality with dabo girls who are little better than indentured servants, and he is no stranger to hot heads and even hotter tempers; secondly, every Ferengi expects to be consoled in gold-pressed latinum, and there just isn’t room for it in the Federation’s budget. Ever.

Instead, he buys a drink. By his math, that makes him and the proprietor even.

The Gamzian wine hits him quick, and for the first time in days he feels like he can breathe, that whatever muscles have been holding him ramrod-straight this whole time can suddenly relax. He leans over, resting his head on the bar, and lets out a long, heartfelt sigh.

“Feeling all right there, ambassador?” oozes a voice across from him, and perfect, he’s caught his host’s attention. “Not that I want to discourage your continued patronage, but I must remind you that we have a firm ‘no returns’ policy.”

Haruka raises his head, and wonders if the man is suffering from some sort of aphasia. “Excuse me?”

“I mean, if you are going to upchuck, as you humans so quaintly call it, you’ll have to leave.” He tugs at his jacket, as if it gives him some small measure of authority and -- well, it is his bar. He’s probably as close as one comes, in a place like this.

“I’ve only had the one drink,” he replies, annoyance seeping through his words. “I was only...relaxing.”

“Well, now.” The man leans over the counter, as if he’s about to let him in a trade secret. “If relaxation is what you’re looking for, friend, come no further. We have holosuites upstairs with the finest fantasies made by the Brothers Quark.”

Haruka only just manages to bite back a grimace. A night of fantasy conceived by a Ferengi man’s mind seems like something destined to be vulgar, if not disturbing. Taste was not something the Rules of Acquisition required or encouraged.

“I’m satisfied with the drink,” he assures his host. “It’s not even finished.”

“Well, you’re welcome to anything on the menu,” the Ferengi tells him. “Just make sure if you order anything new, you come ask for me, Quark. I am well-traveled, but my brother--” he makes a wavering gesture with his hand-- “We don’t get many of your kind out this way. Wouldn’t want you swilling down poison, now would we? Though I’d still let you buy it, if you wanted.”

“How gracious of you.” Kain must have planned this. There was no other reason how he would end up prolonged contact with a Ferengi.

“Business is business,” he shrugs. “Though I suppose allowing that sort of thing doesn’t exactly encourage repeat business. But the customer is always right. Ah, a complex philosophy.”

It would not be hyperbole to say that poison was looking to be an agreeable option the longer he sat here. “Quite.”

“I’d ask what brings you here, Ambassador, but I don’t think anyone on this station doesn’t know.” This...Quark takes a friendly lean, smile baring the sharp rows of his teeth. “Trying to bring the Cardassians into the Federation, eh? A hard sell, I’d say. They don’t bow to anyone but the Union. And the Obsidian Order, but well, it’s all one in the same really.”

He can only stare, stupefied. Aside from the vendors, there was hardly a person on this station that was not a Cardassian or a Bajoran, and yet a rumor like this had spun up: that after years of firing shots over the border, the Federation would try to bring the limping Union into the fold. If only he could trace those words back, if he could find whether they were words of the fearful Cardassians or the disgruntled Bajorans --

Ah, but it wouldn’t matter, not unless the idea was popular enough to leverage it against Gul Dukat. He may not know much about the Union itself, but he was certain that they had no interest in yielding up Cardassia to any other interests. Conquerors did not often enjoy becoming the conquered.

It would make a certain amount of sense on the Federation’s part, of course; they had managed the alliance with the Kingons decades ago, if not brought them fully in, and doubtlessly it would be part of the long-term plan. However....

He couldn’t see it. They would be lucky for the armistice to happen at all if Gul Dukat kept trying to negotiate as he was, as if the Union were in the stronger position and not merely a smaller force that had thus far gotten lucky in their engagements.

No, not lucky. Their strategies were tight, and their discipline superior to Starfleet. But they lacked the sheer manpower available to the Federation, and eventually those overwhelming odds would come to bear. Cardassia could not continue to lose ships, not as they had been.

“Is that s--?”

“Rom!” Quark snaps, whirling on one of the Ferengi hovering nearby. “Stop staring and get back to work!” He turns back to Haruka with an ingratiating smile. “You’ll have to excuse my brother, ambassador. As I’ve said, he doesn’t get out much. Never seen an adult human before.”

He nearly waves it off -- it wouldn’t be his first time he’s been a physiological oddity, not by a long shot, but -- his breath catches. “An adult human? Do you mean to say he’s seen a child?”

His host hesitates, and Haruka can see the gold-pressed latinum in his eyes. “Why, I have to say, it could be, but...the old memory isn’t working as good as it used to. We Ferengi live a long time, after all. These brains are big but...well...I can’t hold on to everything...unless I think it might be important...”

Let it never be said Haruka doesn’t know the prompt for a bribe when he hears one. He drops a few slips of latinum on the bar.

“Oh, the boy! The human boy!” Quark nods, pocketing the bars. “He’s been here a long while, far as I know. They walk him around the promenade every once and a while, just so we all know what happens when you defy the Union.” He leans in, whispering behind a hand, “Though you’d have to be a fool to keep your children here, if you ask me.”

Only the vestiges of his common sense keep him from flying to his feet, from giving this Ferengi far more leverage than is wise. “Do you know where they keep him?”

“Oh, I couldn’t possibly gu--” a handful of slips drop to the counter -- “the torture cells would be my guess. The constable is no friend of mine, but I doubt he’d let a boy like that in his brig.”

“Thank you,” he says, rising stiffly from his seat. “You’ve been more help than you could imagine.”

Quark’s mouth parts in another of his sharp smiles. “Then might I ask you to consider...a little more gratitude.”

The man leans over, jiggling a tip jar. Oh, how he hates Ferengi.

Shidnote’s barely said “Come in,” when Haruka steps through, taking in the two ensigns seated on the bed, both bent over the same PADD.

“Captain!” Sui yelps, scrambling to his feet. “I’m afraid we haven’t had a lot of time to --”

“Doesn’t matter now,” he snaps, turning his attention to Shidnote. The boy’s getting to his feet, but slowly, a belligerent expression on his face. “Do you know where the torture cells are?”

He blinks. “On a station like this? Sure.”

Haruka steps aside, sweeping his hand toward the door. “Then lead away.”

“Ambassador!” The Cardassian dogs his heels, dodging Shidnote and Sui as they trail along in his wake. “You’re not supposed to be down here! This is a restricted area, for senior officers only!“

Haruka barrels on; it’s the only way to deal with men like this, denying them the inch they need to take a mile. “I’m sorry, I don’t read Cardassian.”

There’s a pack of guards following him, each collected from the doors they watch along the hall, but despite their numbers they do not touch him, only lag just behind him and his ensigns, as if humans dripped poison. Perhaps they might as well, for the dressing down they would get if one of them came to harm.

One does dare, as they approach another door, and Shidnote whacks the hand away, giving him a warning look. “Ambassador, please,” the man tries instead, “you cannot be down here! You must leave!”

“Then arrest me,” he grunts, coming to the one door that doesn’t swish open at his passing. “And if you won’t, then open this door.”

His collection of Cardassians all look at each other, nervous. They must have sent for Gul Dukat by now, but the prefect is not here, and he is. According to protocol, he is the acting authority in this particular hallway, and there is nothing the Union loves more than obeying the hierarchy.

For a long moment, no one moves, as if they think they might be able to wait this out, that Gul Dukat might be able to make himself the through the bowels of this station in time to keep them from having to obey a Federation ambassador.

“You heard him” Shidnote snaps, jerking his head. “Open the door.”

Finally one surges forward, lips pressed so thin that gray turns white, and as the door opens he says, “This will cost me my life.”

It’s dim in this room, and it’s only with the ambient light spilling in from the hall that Haruka makes out the cells which line the wall. As his eyes adjust, he just makes out a small, hunched figure rounded over in a cell. Even through the distorted static of the force field, he sees the wild bristle of a head, the shivering spine of a child.

“You’ll have to excuse me,” he manages, hands fisted so tight his knuckles crack, “but I don’t give a single fuck about your safety.”

Sui and Shidnote slip through the door before him, and in moments Sui is holding up his scanner, face entirely too pale.

“It’s -- he’s human, sir,” he gasps, “and -- and alive.”

“Not for long, if the Cardassians have their way about it,” Shidnote grumbles, pacing in front of the force field like he’s the one caged.

“Open this,” Haruka demands, Still, the Cardassians hang back, somehow less eager to help, even now. “Perhaps I have not made myself here. You have been, at the least, complicit in the illegal incarceration and perhaps torture of a human child under the auspice of the Federation. Your lives will all be forfeit, if you don’t suddenly start being uncomplicit right now.”

That gets them moving.

[midshipmank]

I never understood why the Prophets needed to send Sisko on that vision trip in FBTS. Like what was the point?

Hey, nonnie! So, I’massuming your question is more along the lines of “Why is it important that theProphets were the ones that caused this vision?” but even if it’s actually just“Why was it necessary/important that Sisko had this vision?”, I’ve got an answerfor you. Two answers, actually. A short one and a long one. Here we go! 

Short answer: The point was to connect the Prophets, Bajor, and,most importantly, Sisko’s role as the Emissary to the US Civil Rights Movement.In making this connection, the writers of DS9 were not only looking backward touse DS9 to comment on the Civil Rights Movement, but also using the frameworkof the Civil Rights Movement to comment on DS9.  

For elaboration/explanation, see below! (And just be aware that this actually got really long.)

So, the first thing that should be addressed is thatIra Steven Behr got really attached to the concept of not being able todistinguish between the dreamer and the dream, and the most internallyconsistent way to accomplish a story with that element within the DS9 canon isthrough Prophetic visions. It just wouldn’t really make sense for it to happenany other way, or at least it wouldn’t make sense if they wanted to connect itto the overall plot of DS9, which they did. (That they wanted to connect it tothe overall plot of DS9 is apparent in the beginning of season 7, but I’d arguethe connection was already apparent in the original episode based on the restof what I’m going to say.) I maintain that “In a Mirror, Darkly” is still oneof the most confusing things Star Trek has ever done, not because the episodesdon’t make sense, but just because there is no crossover element that weusually see in Mirrorverse episodes. We’re just suddenly interrupting ourregularly-scheduled Prime Universe with some Mirrorverse, no explanations. Similarconfusion would have arisen if the DS9 writers had wanted to just have anepisode about some 1950s pulp SF writers, no context. But, as we know from IraBehr and his attachment to the dreamer-and-dream premise, they never intendedthis to be a free-floating episode, unconnected from the rest of DS9. (As aside note, the “both of these things are true but only one of them can be real”aspect of “Far Beyond the Stars” is “such a religious mood” according to myreligion major twin, and if you want more elaboration on that, they’re@fantasiavii)

Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, I think it’sfair to say that the fact that “Far Beyond the Stars” evokes the US CivilRights Movement is by far the most important aspect of the episode. If they’dtruly only wanted a surrealist episode about dreamers and dreams, they didn’thave to do it this way. But they did. Now, if we’re looking at this from a “Whydid the Prophets choose this vision in particular?” perspective, I’d say theProphets made use of what they found in Sisko’s mind, in his knowledge of humanhistory, to tell him something about himself and his present. Along the samelines, if we’re looking at this from a “Why did the writers choose this visionin particular?” perspective, I’d say they were looking for something in humanhistory, recent enough that it would be easily recognizable to (American)viewers, to tell them something about the story of DS9.

Choosing the Civil Rights Movement would not have beena huge leap for the DS9 creators. Already, they had cited Rodney King* as one of their main influences when creating Benjamin Sisko,which was even more immediately and politically relevant at the time than the Civil RightsMovement. The DS9 creators were always, always aware of the significance ofhaving a Black captain. Sure, the Civil Rights Movement is not really seen “onscreen” in “Far Beyond the Stars” (meaning there are no marches or anything we’d call organized resistance), but it’s theright time period for it, and there is, of course, the racism Sisko faces inthe episode. It’s a straightforward connection to make. Having Joseph Sisko be a priest is another touchstone to build theconnection in the viewers’ minds, as many of the prominent figures in the CivilRights Movement were also religious leaders. Most notable, of course, isReverend Doctor Martin Luther King, Jr., but there were also Black Muslimleaders like Malcolm X and Jewish leaders like Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel.Sisko is experiencing this vision because he is a religious leader, and in thisvision is he guided by another (human) religious leader. (And at this point I’mjust assuming we’ve all acknowledged and accepted that the Bajoran faith isAbrahamically inspired, so all of these human religions are directly relevant.)

I’m fairly certain the creators of DS9 chose to putJoseph Sisko in a priest’s garb just to have something that wasimmediately recognizable. (I feel like “easily/immediately recognizable” is my favorite phrase in this post, but I also feel like it’s oneof Star Trek’s favorite phrases. Yes, we want these stories and allegories tobe poignant, but it’s hard to allegorize if it’s not easily understandable toyour intended audience.)

We could point to the connection to the Civil RightsMovement, to the fact that Star Trek’s origins are in the 1960s, and say thatthis is a “look at where you are, look at where you started” message about thesignificance of having a Black captain. That’s certainly supported by the text,especially by the priest version of Joseph Sisko telling Ben that he’s “thedreamer and the dream.” They’re using DS9, the fact of their having a Black captain,to look back and comment on the Civil Rights Movement, on how far they’ve come.

And this could be enough. Simply building theconnection between Sisko and his role as Emissary all the way back to the USCivil Rights Movement and its religious leaders is enough of a point, enough ofa why. Look at where you are. Look at where you started.

But that doesn’t quite cover the “Why were the Prophets the ones to give Sisko thisvision?” question. The connection to the Civil Rights Movement could have beenmade by different means, something more along the lines of “Past Tense” maybe. Yes,this way they can evoke the religious aspects of the Civil Rights Movement, butI think there’s more to it, and that more to it is Bajor. “Far Beyond the Stars”isn’t just DS9 commenting on the Civil Rights Movement, looking backward. It’s usingthe frame of the Civil Rights Movement to comment on DS9. This is where thefact that Sisko is the Emissary becomes the most important, because for allintents and purposes, Sisko is the Bajoran Moses. He is meant to lead theBajoran people from a time of oppression to a time of peace, the way Moses ledthe Israelites out of slavery to the promised land. And from what we’ve talkedabout above, we know that this role is also very much like that of a CivilRights leader.

Now we’re going to step backward twice, to the episode“Waltz,” which aired shortly before “Far Beyond the Stars.” They are separatedby only one episode, “Who Mourns for Morn?,” and honestly I think this ismostly because Star Trek is allergic to doing too many serious things in a row,and if you remember anything about “Waltz,” then you know that it’s quite,quite serious.

Brief recap: A ship is destroyed and Sisko is strandedon a deserted planet with Dukat. Dukat’s mental state becomes increasinglyunstable, and he has hallucinations of Weyoun, Damar, and Kira (side note, butif this is really what Dukat thinks of Kira, I fucking love it—she’s all hisinner demons, his worst nightmare). Dukat is determined to get Sisko to confessthat Sisko respects Dukat as an equal, that they’re friends. He’s desperate tomake Sisko understand that he’s been misrepresented, been slandered, that heonly wanted what was best for Bajor, and that he was what’s best for Bajor.Sisko spends most of the episode trying not to aggravate Dukat, but eventually managesto get to Dukat to confess that he hates Bajorans, that he thinks Bajorans areinherently inferior to Cardassians, and that he thinks he “should have killed everylast one of them. I should have turned their planet into a graveyard the likesof which the galaxy had never seen! I should have killed them all!” This episodeis very much a sequel to “Duet,” the episode with Kira and Aamin Marritza.

Why is this episode important to “Far Beyond the Stars”?Because of what Dukat and Sisko represent in this episode. This episode, in themiddle of the Dominion War, reminds us of why Sisko and Dukat are enemies inthe first place, and it’s not because Dukat is a Cardassian and Sisko is thelocal Federation leader. It’s because Dukat is the last Prefect of Bajor, thelast person in charge of the Occupation, and Sisko is the Emissary to theProphets, Bajor’s savior.**

So, with the duality of Sisko and Dukat set up, withthe pure evil of Dukat’s genocidal rage firmly established, we move into “Far Beyondthe Stars.” The Prophets are sending their Emissary a vision of human history inwhich he is faced with bigotry that denies his basic humanity. He is harassedby cops who later kill his (not quite) son for no reason at all. Their violenceis provoked only by their racism. We’ve already talked about how this episodeis commenting on the real historical Civil Rights Movement, and I should notethat the police brutality specifically is likely commenting on Rodney King aswell. But the cops’ violence is also about a third thing, and that third thingis Deep Space 9 itself, its own story, its own canon. The white cops that killJimmy are not Dukat and Weyoun simply because we associate those characterswith villainy, and it is not an accident that Weyoun’s cop seems little morethan a sidekick to Dukat’s cop. The Prophets, and the writers, have put Dukat here, in the guise of this white cop,when it has just been established that he wanted to commit genocide on Bajor.(Or at least, just been confessed by Dukat; we all already knew.) 

And so there is a link made between Dukat’s hatred of Bajorans and whitesupremacy, between the police brutality perpetrated against Black people andthe violence of the Cardassians’ colonization of Bajor. Sisko’s (or rather, Benny’s) resistance toDukat’s cop in “Far Beyond the Stars” is also the Emissary’s resistance to thePrefect of Bajor.

If we’re going to look elsewhere for how this episode usesthe framework of the Civil Rights Movement to talk about DS9, we should look atOdo, or rather, Pabst. He acknowledges that Benny Russell’s story is a goodstory, but he can’t publish it because it’s just not “believable.” Okay, he canpublish it, but only if it’s a dream…. Except the publisher has decided therewon’t be an issue this month. “If he doesn’t want to publish this month, we don’tpublish this month… it’s not about what’s right, it’s about what is.” Theway Pabst upholds the systematic racism of the publishing industry and playshimself off as a third party is analogous to the way Odo upheld the status quoof Cardassian rule on Bajor. Even if he was supposedly a “third party,” hestill worked for them, and was bestowed power by their authority. (We’ve allseen “Things Past,” we know he was complicit, and he would have been complicit evenif he didn’t permit unjust executions, see also: “The Darkness and the Light.”)

I argue that this ability to use the frame ofCivil Rights era racism to contextualize the Occupation and Sisko’s role as Emissaryis the main point behind the Prophetsbeing the ones to give Sisko this vision. This way, a familiar oppression islinked to the oppression of the Bajoran people, and this episode continues theseries-long arc of Sisko as Emissary. This is not to say that “Far Beyond theStars” is not also about the first things we talked about, thedreamer-and-dream concept and commentary on the Civil Rights Movement, as wellas the Rodney King case. It’s just to say that, in examining how DS9 iscommenting on real-world issues, there is often a way in which evoking thosereal-world issues within the show is also an invitation to view the events ofthe show through the lens of those events; it’s a two-way street. And sometimes, as in the case of “Far Beyondthe Stars,” that adjustment of perspective is essential to understanding thewhole. As I said before, if they just wanted to fiddle with the dreamer-dreamconcept it didn’t have to be about the Civil Rights era, or if they just wantedto use Sisko to comment on the Civil Rights era, there were other ways of doingthat. But why a vision from the Prophets? Because this episode is also aboutSisko as the Emissary, and the importance of the Emissary being a Black man.  

Deep Space 9 begins and ends with Sisko as theEmissary. It is, arguably, the most important arc of the entire show,especially since the premise is the Federation offering aid to Bajor after theOccupation. Deep Space 9 is also regularly identified with the episode “FarBeyond the Stars;” it is an almost metonymic relationship. I think it’s vitally importantnot to downplay the importance of Sisko’s being the Emissary in “Far Beyond theStars,” because it’s not just Star Trek talking about racism, it’s Star Trektalking about itself.

Is aligning the Civil Rights Movement withpost-Occupation Bajor a misappropriation of oppression? I don’t know. This isnot a conversation I’m prepared to have right now, but it’s certainly one thatkeeps me up at night.

I hope this answered your question!

[Disclaimer: I wrote this in a flurry of inspirationand, yes, it is longer than the paper I just wrote for class, which took me twodays to write. I wrote this in….5 hours? Something like that. I know I didn’tcite anything, but all of my information (mostly what I said aboutIra Behr and Rodney King, which I think are the things that need to be citedthe most) comes from the books and papers I’ve been reading about DS9, Ipromise there are multiple sources for all of these things. The analysis is myown, and I might come back and fiddle with this at a later date. Also, I’mwhite, which is the main reason I can’t answer that last question because it’sreally not for me to decide. As for the rest of the discussion of anti-Black racism,I tried to stick mostly to basic facts/objective language in order to stay inmy own lane and avoid accidentally diminishing or sensationalizing the sufferingof others. Neither was my intent, and I welcome corrections and constructivecriticism. I used the word Black throughout mostly because Sisko lives in afuture where the United States no longer exists, and Black seemed more adequatethan African American. I hope that was the right decision, but again, I welcomecorrection and criticism.]

*The Rodney King case might not seem unusual to usnow, but that’s simply because social media has made it much easier to documentpolice brutality and raise awareness in a broader community of people. TheRodney King case happened at a time when it was very rare for police brutalityto be caught on camera, much less broadcast on all the major news networks.Also a friendly reminder that police brutality has “gotten worse,” it’s alwaysbeen this bad, or worse. It’s just easier to document now.

**I tend to try to avoid the word “savior” for variousreasons, but for clarity’s sake….

[tinybibmpreg]

short bit from my au where Ziyal has an older Bajoran half brother cuz she deserves a loving family. My version of Naprem is tall and trans, because the Only way I can imagine her genuinely falling in love w Dukat like he Claims is if it’s because she can’t help but fall in love w him since he’s carrying her child

Also on AO3

Imagine

Naprem traced the ridges around Gul Dukat’s eyes, and wondered how she kept getting herself into these kinds of situations. Of course, becoming the comfort woman of the Prefect of Bajor wasn’t something she had ever experienced before, but accidentally getting someone she wasn’t supposed to be romantically involved with pregnant was something she had done three times now. Her first lover had died before the child was born from complications, so she was only a mother to one child, now.

There was a pang in her heart as she thought about her son and his mother, her little Linaan and beloved Ceri. Linaan would soon turn ten, and she lamented the fact that she had hardly been there for him, might never get to be there for him again. At least, she comforted herself with, he would have their family imprint on his d’ja pagh, to remember her by. Ceri had grown to hate her by the time she was taken, but she wouldn’t deny the boy the right to know about his sire.

“Linaan...” she let herself whisper. She hadn’t spoken the boy’s name since she was taken away to Terok Nor. Fear had gripped her core when the Prefect had asked her if she had any family she wanted to help, and she’d lied to his face that she only wanted to help an old friend and the woman’s son. They were like her only family, she’d said.

And when the Prefect had taken a personal interest in her as her child grew inside of him, she’d promised herself to never mention him, afraid that he would get jealous. She thought of Linaan often, and Gul Dukat-

Skrain, he’d insisted she call him.

She feared that Skrain might decide to get rid of him and his mother, so her attention would only be on him, only be on their unborn child.

Ceri’s pregnancy had been a bit difficult, and she’d never seemed to stop sneezing some days. Skrain had been violently ill after the first few weeks, unable to keep anything down. He’d been freezing, too weak to move without considerable help from her. And even as the weeks went by, he still found himself weakened and miserable. Naprem wished she could tell the doctor that was treating him that there was a reason he was so sick, that it was just how it was in her bloodline, but she couldn’t. There was no way the woman would keep it a secret from the Prefect, and she couldn’t risk Skrain hearing her.

If the child survived to term, survived past birth, she wondered if it would be like Linaan. He was a sweet boy, curious and happy. He’d been her shining light in the work camp, had always put on a brave face for the three of them and tried to cheer them up when they were sad. He’d looked so much like Ceri when he furrowed his brows and told her there was no use sulking when one could be thanking the prophets that they were all alright and had food and drink.

So maybe they wouldn’t be like him. Whatever they’d be like, she was sure she would love them. How could she not? They would be her child, even if they had grey skin and scales, just as much as Linaan was with his beautiful brown skin and nose ridges that matched her own.

Skrain mumbled something in his sleep, and shifted, moving to be even more on top of her. His head settled against her throat, the Cardassian unconsciously seeking out more warmth. She stroked his hair, and found herself imagining that he was Ceri, fallen asleep on top of her after they snuck out and walked somewhere no one could see them. But Skrain’s hair, fine, straight feathers, were nothing like Ceri’s bouncy, tight curls, and the vision didn’t stick.

She wished she could see her family again, sent a silent prayer to gods she had never had faith in that they were safe, that they were getting the extra rations she’d requested for her old friend’s family.

Perhaps, and what an indulgent thought as she lowered her hand down to the slight swell of Skrain’s belly, Linaan would be able to meet his sibling. If it survived, if he survived. Deep in her core, however, she didn’t believe that would ever happen.

Still, it was nice to imagine.

-

“I miss our mother, Linaan.”

“So do I, Ziyal.” He reached over to squeeze her hand. “So do I.”

[oblio-k]

i would have loved an episode where someone tries to use Ziyal to hurt Dukat so heres this until i figure out the plot for something longer and more detailed lol

Also on AO3

7 - Kidnapped

The sound of a baby crying woke her, and Ziyal opened her eyes. It took a few moments for her to focus, and her eyelids felt unusually heavy. Strange, as she often suffered from insomnia, and rarely ever had difficulty staying awake. As her vision cleared, she realized she wasn’t in her room on the station. While it was just as dark and warm as she kept her quarters, perhaps even a tad warmer, the style of the room wasn’t at all Cardassian, and the bed she was lying on was a lot bumpier.

She sat up, and promptly toppled off of the bed. The drop wasn’t high, just a foot off of the ground. Her head spun, and it took a minute to gather her bearings. The crying intensified. Using the bed as support, she sat up again. She blinked until the room stopped spinning. Yawning, she turned her head towards the direction of the crying. A box on the end of the bed.

She scooted over to it, and got to her knees. In the box was her younger brother, once swaddled in a blanket that was now underneath him and only covering him with a corner. He quieted down when he saw her. “Joseph? What...”

“Ah!” He held out his arms. “Zee! Zee-ah!”

Joey was always in the care of his human family now that they were on the station. She visited him occasionally, but she’d never been alone with him before. Even when they were with her father, he’d always been with him, or tucked into an incubator in his quarters.

She didn’t know how to take care of a one year old.

“Joseph, how did we get here?” Ziyal lifted him up and brought him onto her lap. His crying stopped completely, and he purred. “Where’s your father?” He didn’t have an answer for her, and she didn’t really expect one. Names and a few scattered words in both Standard and kardasi seemed to be all he was willing to say at this point. 

Looking around the room didn’t reveal anything else. Besides the bed, box, and a bag underneath the bed, it was empty. Nothing distinctive to tell her where she was. There was a restroom attached, but it had no door. The only entrance or exit looked to be a sealed door, and a tiny vent in the ceiling.

She pulled out the bag, and recognized it as the one Jake usually kept with him when he was looking after their brother. It had some diapers, a pacifier, a few bottles, and a spare onesie, the color of which was a troubling mix of purple and orange with a strange pattern on it. The brown and green one he currently had on wasn’t very great either, but it wasn’t as offensive to the eyes. 

Opening the side pocket, she found a hypo and Joey’s medication. It had enough of his regular dosages to last him a week, along with three doses of his emergency medication. She wasn’t sure if he’d had his dose that morning, but he seemed fine, so she would save it.

Though now that she thought about it, Ziyal wasn’t sure what time it was. Nor how long she had been asleep.

Joey made a sound, and she looked down at him. He stared up at her, brown eyes wide. “What is it, Joseph? Are you hungry?”

“Zee-ah.”

“Tired? Do you want to play?” He brightened up at that. “I don’t have any of your toys... How does Jake play with you?”

“Jay!”

The door slid open, and Ziyal looked over to see two Bajorans walking in. She didn’t recognize either of them. Holding Joey closer, she glared at them. One of them approached her, holding a hypo. “Relax, miss. This is just to wake you up. We aren’t going to hurt you.”

“Who are you?”

“Just people trying to help Bajor. As long as you don’t cause trouble, everything will go smoothly.” He pressed the hypo to her neck, and the exhaustion faded away. Joey whimpered. “It’s alright, little guy. You and your sister will be just fine.”

He tried to touch Joey’s head, but Ziyal turned him away. “Where are we?”

“On Bajor.”

“Why did you take us here?”

“You look like a smart girl. Why don’t you tell me?”

There was only one reason someone would kidnap her and her brother, especially some Bajorans. Her father. When she was young, her parents had told her how someone could try to use her in order to get at her father, and the thought had slipped her mind now that she was openly living on the station. “To use us against our father.”

“That’s right, miss. He needs to answer for what he’s done, and you two will be the bait.”

“Why did you take my brother? He’s the Emissary’s son.”

The two of them scowled. “The Emissary is a human, Federation. He shouldn’t be involved with Bajor’s affairs. Especially not when he’s consorting with Cardassians.” The man kneeling next to them sighed, and then asked, “Are you fully awake, now?”

It would be best to cooperate. It was how she’d gotten by in the Breen mine. As long as she’d done as the guards said, she’d been left alone. “Yes, I believe so.”

“Your legs might be a bit weak, but I’ve got you. Come on, we’re going to record a message for your father.”

-

Her legs were shaking as she stood there next to the Bajoran man. Joey began to fuss, the new room cold and bright. She tried to soothe him, but then she was grabbed by the back of her dress, and a Bajoran phaser was being pressed to the side of her head. She tried to turn away from it, but earned a hard shake that almost made her fall over.

Joey whined, and she rubbed his back. “It’s alright, Joseph... Don’t cry...”

“Quiet, girl,” the other man hissed at her. Ah. They must have started recording. 

She had no idea what the threats were, though she heard her father’s name as well as their own, as the men switched to a dialect of Bajoran that she didn’t recognize. It seemed her UT had been taken away. As they spoke, the exhaustion began to creep back in. It was getting more difficult to stay standing.

Her vision blurred, and her knees gave out. Joey wailed as they fell, though she kept a firm hold on him so he wouldn’t hit the floor.

-

“-don’t understand why neither of them are waking up.” Ziyal could hear a man speaking when she opened her eyes again. She couldn’t make out anything about where she was, though it felt like she was back on the bed. “Ah, she opened her eyes again.”

Again? A hand touched her forehead. “Seems fine. The little guy is still cold, though.”

“We already turned the heat up. He’s half human, how much heat could he need?”

“I told you not to inject him with so much of the tranquilizer. He’s tiny.”

“He wouldn’t stop crying! We can’t have anyone hearing us.”

She opened her mouth to speak, but found that she’d lost her voice. Attempting to lift her arm also proved useless, though she felt her fingers twitch. Someone patted her hand. “Can you hear us, miss?”

“If these kids die before the Gul shows up, what are we going to do? Prophets, the Prefect is the only person I want dead-”

“Shut up! You’ll scare her. And don’t talk about the plan in front of them.”

“She’s unconscious. And the baby is too young to know what murder is.”

A brief moment of silence, and then, “The kid’s wheezing again. Get one of those green tubes from the bag. That might work.”

“Ah, sure. Should we inject the girl again? Her breathing doesn’t sound too strong. We need to move them soon, get to-”

-

“-great, Starfleet is involved.”

“We might have to...”

“That’s a last resort. Prophets, which one do we shoot? I’d feel bad killing a Bajoran, even if she’s half Cardie, but the boy’s just a baby.” So much for their promise not to hurt either of them, Ziyal thought. She felt something on top of her stomach. Joey, most likely. He wasn’t moving, and was a cold weight.

“He’s not Bajoran. He’s a greater representation of what we don’t want on Bajor. Come on. If we shoot her, she might not die immediately. It’s a risk, and plain cruel. The baby will die instantly, at least.”

She needed to do something, but she still couldn’t see, couldn’t move. She was helpless, just like she’d been when the ship had been shot down over that horrible desert planet. She couldn’t do anything to help her mother then, and now her brother... Her eyes stung with tears. It wasn’t fair! For once, she wanted to be able to do something on her own, without having to rely on her father or anyone else to save her.

“What if we just shoot both? At least then we’ll be able to hurt the Gul more, if we fail.”

“That sounds better. Let’s get ready to...”

-

“-keep holding him, Captain. He needs your body heat.” That was Doctor Bashir’s voice. “Let Joey wake up on his own. It’ll be safer than introducing another drug to his system.”

Ah, her brother was okay. That was a relief. They’d gotten rescued, after all. With a bit of effort, she opened her eyes. Her vision wasn’t great, but at least she could make out that she was in the station’s infirmary. Doctor Bashir was standing by Captain Sisko and her father, and she could make out a vague bundle in the Captain’s arms.

“Ziyal, you’re awake! How are you feeling, my dear?”

[verdigrisprowl]

Dec 18 Odothon Part 7 - DS9 S6E5 S6E6  S6E11 S7E6

Their star is back in his right mind, to Prowl’s great relief; and Prowl hopes he stays there. But he’s still concerned. He fell so easily the first time.

There is a possibility that said star’s home planet might die off of natural causes, leaving him the only person to rule their empire. Intriguing possibility. Could be utilized on Cybertron. Prowl doubts the moral Soundwave wants him to take away from the show is “kill all other Cybertronians and assume their role in the galactic community,” so he’s waiting to see how this turns out.

Today FakeProwl 5:03 pm *ping ping can he come over plz* ItsyBitsySpyers 5:03 pm *Well, that answers the question of whether or not Prowl still trusts him enough to come over and watch.*

*Come on in. He's already settled and waiting.* FakeProwl 5:04 pm *he appears straight on the couch this time.* Ready. ItsyBitsySpyers 5:04 pm {{S6E5 Favor The Bold}} FakeProwl 5:04 pm *He lost sleep over Odo. He needs to know.* ItsyBitsySpyers 5:06 pm *Greeting ping and visor off.* FakeProwl 5:06 pm *Greeting/permission ping.* FakeProwl 5:08 pm ... Even if they do retake DS9 as soon as possible... I'm concerned that by the time they do, Odo will already be working for the other side. FakeProwl 5:08 pm *"concerned," he says, oh so calmly.* ItsyBitsySpyers 5:10 pm [[Retaking it will be difficult without inside help. The Founder was in Odo's room when Kira explained her plans, and she is not a forgiving figure.]] FakeProwl 5:11 pm No, she's not. FakeProwl 5:12 pm ... Is this an intervention or a retaliation? Well. It wasn't a successful one, whatever it is. ItsyBitsySpyers 5:13 pm [[Unfortunately not.]] FakeProwl 5:16 pm *Grimaces.* Somebody needs to break down that door. He's doing nothing but interacting with a single person who's trying to manipulate him. ItsyBitsySpyers 5:17 pm [[And succeeding. Rapidly.]] FakeProwl 5:17 pm Extremely. It's a—a rapid addiction. ItsyBitsySpyers 5:19 pm *Soundwave tries not to huff too harshly at the "gods don't make mistakes" line.*

*He nods at Prowl's assessment.* [[It reminds him of someone he knows, in an odd way.]] FakeProwl 5:20 pm Oh? ItsyBitsySpyers 5:23 pm [[Mm, yes. A somewhat promising mech manipulated into an addiction to someone who now refuses to acknowledge their existence. He has seen them drop into despair in that being's absence. It is unpleasant to watch.]] FakeProwl 5:24 pm ... To what end? Were they someone's enemy? ItsyBitsySpyers 5:26 pm [[Nothing so important. He doesn't know for certain, but he believes the one who is now absent simply wanted a toy. Something to break and discard and laugh at when it limped back.]] [[That part is probably irrelevant to Odo's situation. The utter distraction and addiction is what reminded him of it.]] FakeProwl 5:28 pm ... Disgusting. The emotional addict—anyone I might know? ItsyBitsySpyers 5:29 pm [[Not that he knows of.]] ItsyBitsySpyers 5:31 pm [[Well done with the message.]] FakeProwl 5:32 pm Hm. I'd try to find a therapist for them, but all the ones I know are either terrible or retired. ItsyBitsySpyers 5:32 pm [[As are the ones he's passed by.]] FakeProwl 5:33 pm ... Pity. FakeProwl 5:34 pm Well. If their manipulator comes back to reclaim their toy—it might be nice if you blocked their attempts at contact. FakeProwl 5:35 pm *mumbles* What blatant misuse of his troops. FakeProwl 5:37 pm ... Well, that's not going to help their cause. ItsyBitsySpyers 5:37 pm [[He's made past efforts.]] *Folds his hands.* [[But yes. He'll try again, if he hears of it in time.]] FakeProwl 5:38 pm Kira should have let Dumber drag Ziyal away, Ziyal could have made an excellent spy with a direct link to Gold Docket. ItsyBitsySpyers 5:38 pm *Soundwave trembles a bit. Dumber. Oh, that's lovely. He'll let that one stand.* [[Her temper does get the better of her at times.]] FakeProwl 5:39 pm It certainly does. ItsyBitsySpyers 5:40 pm [[That said, he thinks Ziyal is too naive to do well as a spy.]] FakeProwl 5:40 pm True, but I think she's learning better. ItsyBitsySpyers 5:41 pm (("my pistons may be rusty but my hearing is sharp as ever")) [[It *would* be helpful.]] FakeProwl 5:44 pm Odo's still questioning her a little bit. ItsyBitsySpyers 5:45 pm *Nod nod.* FakeProwl 5:47 pm *Hope for the best, expect the worst. Prowl's afraid he would get along very well with Garak.* ItsyBitsySpyers 5:48 pm *What's there to be afraid of?* FakeProwl 5:48 pm *He seems /absolutely exhausting/ to be around.* ItsyBitsySpyers 5:53 pm ((u good?)) FakeProwl 5:54 pm ((im good)) ItsyBitsySpyers 5:54 pm {{S6E6 Sacrifice of Angels}} ItsyBitsySpyers 5:57 pm *Oh, he doesn't know. He could stand the occasional lunch now and then with someone with his own interests, as long as they didn't try to steal his position.* ItsyBitsySpyers 6:02 pm [[This despite his original attempt to kill her upon recovery from the planet she and her mother were stranded on.]] FakeProwl 6:02 pm As though "holding them for questioning" isn't the most transparent euphemism imaginable. Did he? Hmph. Unsurprising. ItsyBitsySpyers 6:04 pm [[Of course he did. He already had a family, and the former Prefect mating with a Bajoran? Two social strikes. She is close to Kira because Kira protected her.]] FakeProwl 6:07 pm *immediately tenses up at the word "anhedonic."* *deliberately forces avatar back to neutral.* ItsyBitsySpyers 6:08 pm *Corner of the optics glance and back to the screen. He's not going to pry, but he will note.* FakeProwl 6:10 pm He really does believe he was protecting and liberating Bajor. *shakes head.* I wasn't sure if that was something he told himself or something he told other people. But if he's sharing the same story with his allies... FakeProwl 6:12 pm ... Usually I would be intensely concerned about someone who allows love for a single person to completely dominate his personality, life, morality, and decisions. I'll make an exception for Odo because it might be the only thing left that can drag him out of this. ItsyBitsySpyers 6:14 pm *Wonders if Prowl is intensely concerned about Tarantulas. Wonders if he should ask that. Decides it's not his place to poke at that and nods again.*

[[Taking what they can get, at this point.]] FakeProwl 6:16 pm ... That was a very elaborate distraction. ItsyBitsySpyers 6:17 pm [[In a bad way or an impressive way?]] FakeProwl 6:17 pm In an unexpected and thus amusing way. ItsyBitsySpyers 6:18 pm [[Hm. Quark hasn't killed anyone before, he thinks.]] FakeProwl 6:18 pm I think you're right. FakeProwl 6:19 pm Please, PLEASE go help them. This is your shot, Odo. FakeProwl 6:21 pm ... If the Link is "paradise," that's all the more reason not to be part of it. Why waste time in a place that's already perfect when there's so much on the outside that still needs help? ItsyBitsySpyers 6:22 pm *Another glance.* [[You never consider retiring some day?]] *And there go all the mines.* FakeProwl 6:23 pm Doing what? ItsyBitsySpyers 6:24 pm [[He doesn't know. He thought you would, if you ever consider it.]] FakeProwl 6:24 pm No, I mean—I never considered doing /what/ someday? ItsyBitsySpyers 6:25 pm [[The idea of finding some place perfect to settle and be comfortable with all that you want at hand in your waning vorns. It is a fascinating alien concept. He thought you would be familiar with it from your travels.]] ItsyBitsySpyers 6:27 pm [[He tried it, himself. It turned out he wasn't very good at it.]] *Huff.* [[Now he is here.]] FakeProwl 6:27 pm ... Vaguely. Distantly. It's a concept that applies only to things that can die of old age. FakeProwl 6:30 pm ((i love how the Founder just constantly gives off the vibe of a slightly cross grandma)) ItsyBitsySpyers 6:31 pm *Nod. It was a tempting thing, but the thought of having nothing but leisure time for millions and millions of years... no, thank you.*

[[That was part of his reasoning for stopping. [][][]Why waste time - when there's so much on the outside that still needs help?[][][] ]] FakeProwl 6:31 pm *Nods at screen.* Useful gods they've got next door. ItsyBitsySpyers 6:32 pm [[Quite.]] FakeProwl 6:37 pm ... This probably isn't the message I should be taking from this, but what I'm getting is "give Megatron an offspring; kill it in front of him. Prevent a lot of unnecessary conquering and genocide." FakeProwl 6:38 pm ... Although if we're going to be traveling into the past to give and take a sparkling from him it might be easier to just kill him outright. ItsyBitsySpyers 6:39 pm [[Perhaps it isn't. He is not interested in that solution, himself.]] *Something of a silence.* [[But he has watched for timelines that could tell him if it is true.]] [[That is not the end of the story, though. We must summarize a few things and carry on.]] FakeProwl 6:40 pm No, it didn't seem like the end. Go on, then. ItsyBitsySpyers 6:41 pm [[Damar deeply regrets murdering Ziyal. He replaces Dukat, but cannot stand up to the Dominion's leaders and swiftly becomes the puppet connecting them to the Cardassian people.]]

[[Bashir and others believe surrendering now and rebelling later will involve less loss of life than continuing the war. The proposal's denied and Bashir's persuaded to change his mind. The others try to give classified information to the enemy, but he stops them, insisting that the course of history may yet be changed in their favor.]] ItsyBitsySpyers 6:42 pm {{S6E11 Waltz}} FakeProwl 6:43 pm All right. Let's go. FakeProwl 6:47 pm ... Hm. Surrendering now /will/ lead to less /immediate/ loss of life, at the cost of sustained gradual loss of life that might soon total far greater than would have been lost during the war. And it's much harder to liberate a tightly-held colony than it is to maintain an empire's freedom. ((i love it when actors do the "pretend the ship's been hit" jiggle dance)) ItsyBitsySpyers 6:48 pm ((tbh so do i, thinking of them trying to do that with the straight faces and all)) FakeProwl 6:49 pm ((dukat's was impressive, with the shaky knees)) FakeProwl 6:51 pm Kira and Odo are walking around together again. Is their relationship recovering or is it only business? ItsyBitsySpyers 6:52 pm ((agreed!))

[[Mm. One of the tapes he skipped took Bashir and Dax to an alien planet. The entire population was infected with an engineered fatal plague the Dominion unleashed on them for resisting. There were no possible cures; all infected were doomed. Bashir did manage to make a vaccine that would protect the offspring they produced, but that was all.]]

[[With that in mind... your second comment, the one regarding liberating tightly-held colonies? He is inclined to agree.]] [[Their relationship is slowly recovering, and will continue to do so for the next half a year.]]

[[And now: Sisko wakes up in a cavern. His only company is Dukat, who's hallucinating familiar figures. Dukat lies about the broken signal transmitter, insists they're "old friends", and repeatedly claims to be a decent person. Things are about to come to a head.]] ItsyBitsySpyers 7:01 pm ((it doesn't come across well in that delivery but the line is intended to be sarcasm)) FakeProwl 7:02 pm ... All this talk about inherent superiority, about how the victims should have accepted their inferiority, about how he should have killed them. Gold Docket sounds exactly like... *Grimace.* I was going to say a Decepticon. But, no. He just sounds like a Cybertronian. ItsyBitsySpyers 7:03 pm *Helm tilt.* [[Autobots too?]] FakeProwl 7:05 pm The Autobots were too busy stopping the Decepticons to do anything else. And—for now, at least, while the memories are fresh—I think there are too many of them who are determined to /not/ be like the Decepticons to do anything they did. But, the memories are going to fade. And the proud, glorious Cybertronian people are going to remember that they're /inherently better/ than all the foolish, short-lived little organics of the galaxy. ItsyBitsySpyers 7:07 pm [[Unless they're taught otherwise.]] FakeProwl 7:07 pm *SNORT.* Yeah. Sure. *Nods at the screen.* Who do you think could teach Gold Docket otherwise? We're a whole race of Gold Dockets. ItsyBitsySpyers 7:08 pm [[Us as well?]] FakeProwl 7:08 pm Define the scope of "us." ItsyBitsySpyers 7:09 pm [[There are only two of us on this couch.]] FakeProwl 7:10 pm I don't know enough about how you feel about organics. I'd like to think /I've/ learned better. But I don't know what I'm still carrying. ItsyBitsySpyers 7:11 pm [[Do you think yourself capable of continuing to learn? Of wanting to learn?]] FakeProwl 7:12 pm I try to be. FakeProwl 7:14 pm Are you going to try to tell me that other Cybertronians are capable of learning, too? Don't bother—you and I both know full well that most don't WANT to. When they do learn a lesson it's an accident and a great shock to everyone involved. ItsyBitsySpyers 7:24 pm [[We are both good at arranging accidents.]] *Quiet puff.* [[He does think we can become better as a whole than we have been. You know who he was, and you yourself have arrived here despite starting out in the depths of Functionism and mechanical superiority.]]

[[He doesn't know how to reach others yet, but he is looking, and he will keep looking. If you never feel as though it's possible for you to do that, then... that is your mind. But it does not change his.]] FakeProwl 7:24 pm *... Prowl made a mistake by saying anything. The show stopped.* ItsyBitsySpyers 7:24 pm *He didn't make a mistake; there's just summaries coming and they were on a topic.* FakeProwl 7:26 pm ... Mm. *Gestures at screen.* Let's just... go on. ItsyBitsySpyers 7:26 pm [[As you wish. He must explain passing events we do not have time to cover, though.]] FakeProwl 7:26 pm *Nods.* ItsyBitsySpyers 7:27 pm [[General events.]]

[[More crew members face unpleasant wartime scenarios. Chief O'Brien chooses between completing an infiltration mission and saving the enemy friend he made. Worf is faced with winning a battle or saving his spouse. Kira, who despises collaborators, learns that her mother became one of Dukat's "companions" to save her family. Bashir's life is turned upside-down by an undocumented Federation spy organization, Section 31. Sisko and Garak conspire and lie to drag the Romulans into joining the war, as you may recall once seeing.]] ItsyBitsySpyers 7:29 pm [[During a lull, a self-aware hologram musician advises Odo on his interest in Kira and helps him gain confidence. Odo confesses his feelings to what he thinks is a hologram of Kira and they enter a relationship when the truth is revealed.]] FakeProwl 7:29 pm ... I don't recall seeing something like that, but I'll take your word for it. ItsyBitsySpyers 7:31 pm [[...No, you weren't there, were you? The others were. That's right. Hmm. He'll have to send you that some time.]] [[Never mind. You know now.]] FakeProwl 7:31 pm Indeed. ItsyBitsySpyers 7:32 pm [[He apologizes. He's still somewhat weary from the weekend, and movie nights do blend now and then if he isn't specifically reviewing the details.]]

[[Lastly, Sisko is forced to fight pah-wraiths - enemies of the wormhole aliens - even though it may kill him and his son. Jealous of his greater faith and the gods' attention to him, Kai Winn ruins his victory under the guise of saving them. Sisko and his son live, but the pah-wraiths escape.]] ((*casually blames muse's DJing for the mun's error*)) [[Now we may continue.]] FakeProwl 7:34 pm ((blaming your own mistakes on your muse is Good Writing.)) ItsyBitsySpyers 7:35 pm {{S7E6 Treachery, Faith, and the Great River}} FakeProwl 7:38 pm ... I don't trust this defection. ItsyBitsySpyers 7:39 pm [[The Vorta *have* historically been slippery and sneaky.]] FakeProwl 7:40 pm Indeed. ((WAIT THAT'S JEFFREY COMBS)) ((I DIDN'T REALIZE. BUT I CAN HEAR IT NOW)) ItsyBitsySpyers 7:40 pm ((LMAO YES that's why i've been making jokes about ratchet)) FakeProwl 7:41 pm ((AND NOW I'M NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO STOP HEARING PRISSY RATCHET)) ItsyBitsySpyers 7:42 pm (( 😄 )) FakeProwl 7:42 pm It is true that he's culturally and perhaps genetically altered to view Odo as a god. ItsyBitsySpyers 7:44 pm *Nod.* [[Quick way to ensure loyalty.]] FakeProwl 7:44 pm But the other Founders may still have convinced him to regard Odo as a fallen god, and thus to spy on him. ... But, I can be convinced. ItsyBitsySpyers 7:45 pm [[Heh.]] FakeProwl 7:47 pm ... He's saying all the right things. Live in peace with the solids, et cetera. And that's suspicious. FakeProwl 7:50 pm I hope he's sincere, though. He could be a great asset. ItsyBitsySpyers 7:51 pm [[One of the best they could ask for.]] FakeProwl 7:54 pm Well, he's already taught the Federation the weak point of a Jem'Hadar ship. ItsyBitsySpyers 7:55 pm [[If he *was* a planted spy, letting him talk about things like that would be a serious error in judgment.]] FakeProwl 7:56 pm Indeed. ((oh my god. that's the worst way i've ever seen a pizza be eaten.)) ItsyBitsySpyers 7:57 pm ((it's adorable tho)) FakeProwl 7:58 pm ((it is)) FakeProwl 8:01 pm *"You have an opportunity to rectify the mistakes your people have made." Sits up and leans forward.* *An intriguing possibility. ... But one that requires the rest of the race to die off first.* ItsyBitsySpyers 8:05 pm *May he never have to hide in an ice blob.* FakeProwl 8:09 pm ... Time for the regular movie night, isn't it? ItsyBitsySpyers 8:10 pm [[Yes. But he is available tomorrow night. We can do our best to wrap it up then.]] FakeProwl 8:10 pm I don't suppose we can convince the regular moviegoers to watch the amazing adventures of Odo? *wry smile* ItsyBitsySpyers 8:11 pm [[Not without as much context as he's given you. Though he might be convinced to play more of these tales in general, soon.]] [[For now, he must have a few moments to prepare. You're welcome to explore outside, if you would like to see the canyon while he is busy.]] FakeProwl 8:13 pm If you don't need my help, I'll wait here. *He'll supervise.* ItsyBitsySpyers 8:13 pm [[Very well.]]

*And Soundwave will set about doing just that.*

[deepspacedukat]

😂 My apologies, bb, you’re very right. *taps mic*

For one of them (the one that isn’t the follow-up to “Terok Nor”) the basic idea is that in 2358, during the Federation-Cardassian War, a small Federation craft is captured in the Bajoran sector. Due to their proximity, the three Federation officers are brought to Terok Nor for questioning. Once they arrive, the Prefect of Bajor and the Commander of the station, Gul Dukat, takes a...personal interest in one of the prisoners during her interrogation.

hii i just wanted to say that i love the way you write dukat, his characterization and his whole vibe, just <33. honestly hes one of my favorite characters. I've read terok nor a handful of times at this point, its a comfort read teehee

Aww, thank you so much, Nonny! I'm honestly surprised "Terok Nor" hasn't been completely forgotten yet lol. I'm so glad you like it! If you're interested, I do have another multi-chapter Dukat fic in the works that I've been playing around with for a while. 👀 Also, I've been contemplating writing a follow-up to "Terok Nor," but I didn't think anyone would be interested... Maybe I'll actually work on that, now.

Thank you again for all your sweet words! Dukat is such a fun character to write! I can see a cartoonish smirk on his face in my mind's eye every time I imagine him.