The BLTS Archive - Grief
by McFergeson (zocolopatron@yahoo.com)

---

I figured it was high time to re-visit the good folks
aboard the Deep Space Nine spacestation. This story, Grief,
is a sequel to my earlier DS9 story, Heart. Like Heart, it
continues to explore the growing, and ever evolving,
relationship between Odo and Kira Nerys, who were among my
favorite characters from that series. But, unlike
Heart--which was originally written for a contest, and had
to be no longer than 2000 words--Grief had no such
restrictions placed on it. And so I took advantage of the
longer form to dig deeper into the world of DS9.

Like Heart, Grief is really a more personal story--call it a
drama, if you will. And like Heart, Grief won't be an epic.
I plan to end this within the next chapter. It takes place
during the series' fourth season, when Worf was aboard the
station. I hope you enjoy it.

Disclaimer: these characters are the property of Paramount,
and were created by Rick Berman and Michael Piller. I'm not
making any money off of this.

---

Odo and his protégé, Élan Li, had decided to make another
sweep of the Promenade before they returned to the main
security office, and it was a good thing they did--for when
they strode by Quark's, Odo heard a louder than usual
commotion coming from within the establishment. It was still
too early in the day for the Dabo games and other sordid
entertainment to be running, so the yelling was definitely
something that Odo figured he should check out.

When he entered Quark's with Deputy Élan, Odo found the
bar's namesake, a short Ferengi who was clad in loud
clothing, busy trying to calm the nerves of Major Kira and
Lieutenant Commander Dax, who were both very angry and were
not holding back in how they felt about the matter. Quark's
brother, Rom, stood off to the side fidgeting nervously.

"It will be taken care of," Quark assured the women, "it
will all be taken care of, Commander."

"The holo-suite ate our stuff, Quark!" Dax told him, still
angry. She and Kira stood dripping wet, each clad only in
one piece swimsuits. The meager hand towels that they had
been given by Quark were obviously not large enough to dry
them.

"Uh, that's not possible," Rom meekly interjected. "Most
likely, your personal effects were swept away along with
everything else. . . ."

"Oh, really?" Kira said, her tone heavy with sarcasm. Like
Dax, her hair was wet to the point where it was slicked back
against her head. "Is that supposed to make us feel better?"

"Yes, Rom, what were you thinking?!" Quark said, abruptly
turning on his poor brother.

Taking about as much of this scene as he could, Odo stepped
over and said, "May I ask what is going on?"

"Now, now, Odo," Quark chided, as he quickly stepped
in-between the Constable and the angry women. "There's no
need for your services here. We have the situation well
under--"

Odo placed a hand on Quark's shoulder and firmly shoved him
to one side. "I decide whether or not my services are
needed, Quark." Giving Kira and Dax a concerned look, he
asked, "Are you two all right?"

"Yes, we're fine," Kira replied.

"Considering we've just had to practically swim out of the
holo-suite," Dax added, shooting Quark an angry look. She
held out her arms, indicating her dripping body, and added,
"We were struck by a hurricane in there!" "I take it that
was not what you had planned?" Odo asked.

"No, see, the program was supposed to be the tropical
beaches of Vaile," Kira explained. "And that's what it was
at first--until the hurricane hit!"

"Without warning, I might add," Dax said. "One second, it
was a blissful tropical paradise, and the next, we were in
the middle of a deluge!"

"Before we knew it, the high winds blew all of our stuff
away, and we couldn't even stop the program!" Kira added.
"We were lucky to have found the door when we did, or else
we would have drowned in there!"

"I already apologized to them," Quark told Odo. "There's
really nothing more that can be done at this point."

"Well, for one thing, you could give the Major and Commander
larger towels," Odo said. "And then there's the matter of
their personal belongings. I take it the program is still
running."

"I cut power to that holo-suite," Rom helpfully told him.
"The program has shut down, but the place is still a mess."

Quark shook his head sadly. "I'm afraid your personal
effects are gone, then, ladies."

"What?!" Kira cried, shocked.

"Oh no," Dax said, angrily shaking her head. "Wait one
minute, here--"

They both grew quiet when Odo held up a hand. "Quark, that
holo-suite shall remain closed to all until the personal
effects of Major Kira and Commander Dax are found,
understood?"

Quark shook his head. "But I have paying customers who're
waiting to use that--"

Ignoring him, Odo promptly turned to Élan and said, "Li,
inform the security office that we need a sizable force of
deputies in Quark's on the double. They are to permanently
shut down all of Quark's holo-suites, until-this matter is
properly resolved."

"Wait! Wait!" Quark said, nervously, just as Élan raised her
hand to her comm-badge.

Odo held up a hand to stop Élan. "Yes, Quark?"

"As I was about to say," Quark began, "the management here
at Quark's will not rest until we find the belongings of
Commander Dax and Major Kira!"

"And if the items can't be found, of if they are severely
damaged, then you shall compensate the Major and Commander
for them," Odo added.

Quark leaned over to Odo and muttered, "You're killing me
here, Constable. . . ."

"Am I?" Odo replied with mock concern. "Oh. . . good."

Quark just shook his head glumly. "Great doing business with
you, as always, Odo...."

Dax came over and stuck her finger in Quark's face. "If you
want to continue doing business, Quark, you'd better get
your holo-decks in order!"

She then stormed out of the bar, angrily brushing past Chief
O'Brien and Commander Worf near the entrance, who both
stared after Dax in puzzlement.

As they walked over to the group, Worf took note of Major
Kira's swimsuit and asked, "Was there an aquatic sporting
event held here?"

"From the looks of things, it was a //female// aquatic
sporting  event,"  O'Brien said good-naturedly to Worf. "And
we just missed it--pity!"

O'Brien visibly deflated when Kira shot him a withering
look. "How's Keiko doing, Chief?" she pointedly asked.

O'Brien's face grew red as he sheepishly took a seat at the
bar. "Uh, she's fine, Major."

Rom came up to Kira with several of the small towels in his
hands. "These are the only size I could find," he said
apologetically. "But if you could wait, Major, I could sew
all of these into a larger size for you!"

Kira rolled her eyes upwards. "Never mind, Rom."

As she left the bar, Odo followed and Élan went with
him--until she saw Quark make a broad welcoming gesture to
O'Brien and Worf. "What can I get for you two fine
gentlemen?" he said grandiosely.

Élan leaned in-between the Starfleet officers and said,
"Whatever you two do, steer clear of Quark's holo-decks for
the time being."

"Will do, Deputy," O'Brien said. "Thanks for the tip!"

"Do you mind?!" Quark said, annoyed. He glanced at Odo and
added, "This is now bordering on harassment!"

"If I ever do decide to harass you, Quark, you'd know it,"
Odo muttered, as he strode out of the bar with Élan. He
nodded at her. "Good move."

"It's what you've said yourself sir," Élan said. "We're more
than security here, we're also public servants for the
common good."

"Good to see you've taken to heart some of the things I've
taught you," Odo replied, pleased. He searched the crowds
for Kira, and quickly found her. Since she was presently the
only person on the Promenade who was dressed for the beach,
Kira stuck out quite easily.

"Major," Odo called, as he hurried to join her.

She stopped and regarded him anxiously. "What is it, Odo?
Something wrong?"

"It's nothing, Major. I'd just thought I walk you back to
your quarters," he explained.

"If you'll excuse me, Constable, Major," Élan said. "I think
I shall report back to the office."

"You're welcome to join us, Deputy," Odo said.

"That's all right, sir," Élan replied, as she glanced at Odo
and Kira with a slight smile. "I have some reports to make,
anyway. I'll keep the desk seat warm for you."

As Élan quickly turned and walked away, Odo was about to ask
her about the humorous look she had given them--until Kira
leaned over and said, "It's just an expression."

Odo stared at her. "What is?"

"Keeping the seat warm," Kira said. "That doesn't mean she's
actually going to sit in your seat."

Odo patiently nodded. "Yes, Major, I know."

"Sorry," Kira sheepishly said. "It's just that these human
expressions are popping up all over the station
lately--everybody seems to be using them, now, and I just
wanted to make sure. . . ."

Odo placated her by gently placing a hand on her arm. "I
appreciate how you're always watching my back, Major, no
matter what the situation. No, I was wondering what was the
meaning behind that odd little look that Élan just gave us."

Now Kira abruptly gave him a broad grin. "Well, why //are//
you  walking  me back to my quarters, anyway? Afraid I might
lose my way?"

"No, I just figured you might like some company," Odo said,
now wondering why he even bothered. "If you'd rather I'd
not--"

"No, no, that's all right. You know I always love your
company." As they strode down the promenade, Kira glanced
back in the direction Élan had departed. "She's really come
a long way since she first arrived at DS9, huh?"

"Deputy Élan? Yes, she has. In fact, she's become one of the
best--if  not //the// best--of my deputies. I've recently
been giving some  serious  thought to promoting her."

Kira smiled as they ascended to the second level of the
Promenade. "From what I've been hearing about her, she's
certainly earned it. Élan handled herself very well during
that Dopterian situation." Then she frowned slightly. "Do
you know what the term 'bee's knees' means?"

Odo shook his head. "Can't say I've ever heard of that
term."

"It's what Doctor Bashir said to me, regarding a new drink
that Quark's got," Kira told him. "Julian said it was 'the
bee's knees.'"

"If I'm not mistaken, a bee is an earth insect," Odo said.

"Yes. Apparently, Julian meant it in reference to the fact
that the drink was very good." Kira just gave him a helpless
shrug. "I'm still wondering what that has to do with the
anatomy of a bee."

"Just another odd earth expression, I suppose," Odo said.

"Élan Li to Constable Odo," a familiar female voice said
urgently over his communicator.

Odo tapped his comm-badge. "Yes, Deputy?"

"Sir, we've received reports of suspicious activity on one
of the upper docking pylons," Élan reported. "Where the
Tarkio is docked."

Odo exchanged a strange look with Kira. The Tarkio was an
unarmed civilian transport of Kaferian registry--one of many
that docked at the station on a regular basis.

"What kind of suspicious activity?" Odo asked.

"They appear to be making ready to leave without
authorization," Élan said.

Kira's eyes grew wide with alarm. "They're not due to ship
out until two days from now. Their passengers haven't even
arrived yet from Bajor! What are they doing?"

"That's a very good question, Major," Odo said. "Deputy
Élan, how are you situated to handle things?"

"I've got an armed squad of deputies with me, Constable.
We're on our way up the pylon. We'd thought we would wait
for you."

"Don't," Odo said, as he ran for the nearest turbo lift.
"Continue ahead without me, I'll catch up to you."

//"We'll// catch up," Kira corrected him, as she ran by his
side. "I'm  coming with you."

Odo nodded. "Very well, Major."

When they entered the turbo lift, Kira instinctively slapped
her comm-badge, only to roll her eyes in disgust when she
realized she was still clad in her swimsuit. "Uh, Odo? Would
you mind calling--?"

"Allow me, Major," Odo said, as he called Ops and informed
them of the situation.

"All right, Constable," Captain Sisko acknowledged. "I'll
meet you up there."

Once the turbo lift reached the top of the docking pylon,
both Odo and Kira were startled when it felt as if the
entire station began to shudder violently. A low pitched
rumble could be heard--and felt--as the doors flew open to
reveal several emergency klaxons flashing in the dim
hallways. The entire structure of the pylon itself continued
to shake violently as they made their way into the corridor,
where Odo saw a trio of his deputies sprawled out on the
floor.

Kira went to slap her non-existent comm-badge once
more--until she stopped herself with an annoyed shake of her
head. She quickly bent down to examine one of the
constables.

"She's alive, but just barely," Kira reported, as she took
the woman's comm-badge and placed it on her swimsuit. She
then used it to call in a medical emergency to Dr. Bashir.

Odo checked the other two unconscious deputies and were
satisfied that they were alive.

'But where was Deputy Élan?' Odo anxiously wondered. She was
nowhere to be seen.

When he gazed through the window of the docking pylon door,
Odo was stunned at the sight before him. There should have
been a short corridor that contained two more doors just
beyond this one, which led straight to the docked ship. But
all Odo saw now was empty space. It looked as if the Tarkio,
in its haste to escape, had ripped off this section of the
docking pylon.

Kira let out a gasp of shock when she peered through the
window. Then she slapped her comm-badge. "Kira to Ops,
what's the status on the Tarkio? Did it get away?"

"Afraid it did, Major," Chief O'Brien reported, sounding
frustrated. "It went to warp the moment it cleared the
station. And the station's tractor beams are down, for some
damn reason. . . ."

Kira looked shocked. "You don't think they took Deputy Élan
with them as a hostage?"

"That's a distinct possibility, Major." Odo was about to ask
the station computer to find Deputy Élan, until he saw a
body drifting in the void of space outside.

It was Élan Li. She drifted serenely with her arms spread
out wide, as if ready to embrace a lover.

As Kira let out a horrified gasp, Odo called Ops and ordered
an emergency transport lock on Deputy Élan's comm-badge.
"Transport her directly to the infirmary! Medical
emergency--exposure to space!"

Deputy Élan vanished within a shimmer of light, to reappear
within the infirmary--where, Odo hoped, they could still
help her.

Kira reached out and squeezed his arm in a comforting
gesture. "Maybe you got to her in time. Maybe it wasn't too
late."

Odo nodded grimly. He did not know how long she had been out
there, exposed to the harsh environs of space. Odo forced
himself to shove aside the nagging concern he felt for Élan;
he had done all that he could do for her.

But right now, he had a job to do.

Captain Sisko arrived, along with Worf and a full medical
team, and Odo and Kira gave them a run-down on what
happened--at least as far as they knew. When one of the
injured deputies was revived by the medics, he insisted on
telling Odo and the Captain what had happened.

"It was Li, sir," the deputy said, as he struggled to remain
awake on the gurney. He was in obvious pain. "We were in the
docking corridor, when the ship began to take off--it was
still attached to the pylon! The doors automatically began
to close, sealing us in, but Li did a manual override at the
console. She was still caught inside in the docking corridor
just as it ruptured!"

"She's been beamed directly to the infirmary," Odo assured
him.

"I'm sure they're doing all they can for her down there,"
Sisko added. Then he gestured for the medics to get the
injured man to the infirmary.

Odo waited as Sisko glared out at the extensive damage to
the docking pylon through the window. Then the Captain
turned around and gazed at Odo and Kira. "The Tarkio, I
assume it cleared the usual checks?"

"It did," Odo said with a nod. "It's of Kaferian registry."

"Although not members of the Federation, the Kaferians have
been valued allies for more than two centuries," Worf
interjected. "It is unlikely their government is behind
this."

"They're a peaceful race. This doesn't sound like something
they would do," Kira said in agreement. "So we're looking at
a scenario where somebody other than the crew had taken over
the Tarkio."

"Who?" Sisko wanted to know.

"The best way to begin to determine that is to first
eliminate the  crew as suspects," Odo said. "And the best
way to do //that// would be  to  find out if the crew of the
Tarkio are still on board the station."

"Chief O'Brien reported earlier that the station's tractor
beams weren't working," Kira said.

"That is correct," Worf replied with a curt nod. "He is
presently working with Lt. Commander Dax to restore power to
the tractor beam system."

Kira slowly shook her head. "The tractor beams go down right
when the Tarkio makes its big break? The timing of this is
just too good to be true for me."

"We suspect sabotage," Sisko said. "Perhaps Dominion
infiltration."

"That would narrow down the number of suspects greatly," Odo
said. "However, I should still go and rule out the ship's
crew, first." "Do that, Constable," Sisko said. "Let's cover
all the bases, first."

Yet before Odo could even leave to begin his investigation,
his comm-badge chimed. "Bashir to Odo." Odo acknowledged the
call by touching his comm-badge. "Yes, Doctor?"

"I need to see you in the infirmary, Constable," Bashir
said, sounding urgent. "Right away."

"I was just on my way down to my office, Doctor," Odo
replied, as he continued walking. "I'll stop by on the way."

Once he arrived in the infirmary, Bashir greeted him in the
outer office. The young doctor looked weary and downbeat.
"Odo, I'm very sorry to have to tell you this, but there was
nothing we could do for Deputy Élan."

Odo blinked at him, not comprehending what he meant. He was
about to ask, since there was nothing Dr. Bashir could do,
if this meant that Élan Li would be moved to Bajor, or to a
Starfleet facility that could better care for her.

But then he glanced behind Bashir and saw the body that lay
on the examination table. It was covered from head to toe
with a sheet. And that was when it had finally sunk in for
Odo: Élan Li, his favorite of all of his deputies, and the
young woman whom he considered to be his protégé, was dead.

---

Kira Nerys emerged from her quarters fully dressed in her
standard Bajoran military uniform. Although it had now been
a few hours since the news, she still shook her head in
disbelief at the fact that Élan Li was gone. So young, and
so full of promise, Li seemed to Nerys as if she was a
shining example of the new generation that came of age on
Bajor; a child of war who--as an adult--now rose to help
take charge of the future for herself and her fellow
Bajorans.

'But the future is proving to be just as dangerous as the
Cardassian occupation was in the past,' Nerys thought
glumly. 'It's become sadly obvious that Li's generation will
have their own dangerous challenges to face.'

Nerys paused in her stride when she heard a familiar voice
behind her say, "Now that's more like it!"

Nerys turned and smiled in puzzlement at Jadzia, who caught
up to her in the corridor. "What's more like it?"

"You've worn your swimsuit for so long today, I was starting
to think you were pushing for a new uniform change," Jadzia
replied, as they both entered the turbo lift. "Although,
I've got to admit, the comm-badge was a nice look with that
particular swimsuit."

Nerys smiled wanly at Jadzia's joke. She had actually been
so busy working with Captain Sisko and Odo on setting up the
investigation into who could be behind this incident--as
well as coordinating the repairs to the docking pylon--that
Nerys had completely forgotten she had still worn her
swimsuit the whole time. Until just now, when she had
stopped by her quarters long enough to change.

Still, the sorrow Nerys felt over the death of Élan Li had
washed away any appreciation she had for humor right now.

Jadzia appeared to understand, for she somberly said, "I'm
very sorry about Deputy Élan, Nerys."

"Thanks," Nerys said, as the sadness once more welled up
within her. She took a deep breath and shook it off. There
would be time to mourn later; right now, she had to stay
focused on the tasks that had to be completed. One of which
was a complete sensor sweep of the station that had been
ordered by the Captain. They still didn't know why the
Tarkio was in such a hurry to leave--but Sisko wanted to
make sure it wasn't because the Tarkio crew had left a bomb
behind on the station.

"Were you close with Deputy Élan?" Jadzia asked.

"Not really," Nerys admitted. "I mean, I liked her very
much; but Odo was much closer to her than I was. I suppose I
feel more sad for his sake than for mine. It's a terrible
loss for him."

Jadzia's eyes narrowed. "Just how close //were// Odo and
Deputy Élan,  if  you don't mind my asking?"

"It was strictly a mentor/apprentice relationship, that
became a  platonic friendship," Nerys answered. "Odo was
//very// fond of her."

Jadzia nodded abruptly. The disconcerted look on her face
was so troubling to Nerys that she asked, "Something wrong?"

"Well, it's just that. . . ." Jadzia then paused, as if not
knowing how to  put her feelings into words. "From what I've
seen of Odo, he certainly  doesn't //look// very sad over
Li's death."

Nerys understood what she meant. Odo was always so stoic
regarding his feelings--almost to a fault. "Odo's a very
private individual. Besides, he's been caught up in the bomb
sweep of the station that the Captain ordered."

"Yes, of course," Jadzia said with a nod. The turbo lift
doors opened and they stepped out. "All of us have been
racing at Warp Nine since this happened. We haven't had a
chance to do anything but focus on our work."

"Maybe that's for the best," Nerys said. The nonstop work
Nerys had been engaged in kept her mind off of the loss of
Deputy Élan; and she hoped it was the same for Odo--for his
sake.

They entered the conference room, and around the table was
seated Worf, Odo, Julian Bashir and Chief O'Brien. When she
saw Sisko was not present, Nerys turned to Worf and asked,
"Is the Captain still speaking with the Kaferians?"

"Yes, he is," the Klingon confirmed. "He shall join us
shortly."

Almost as if on cue, Benjamin Sisko entered the conference
room with a scowl on his face. It wasn't hard for Nerys to
see there was something wrong.

Once he took his seat, along with everyone else, Sisko said,
"I just  got finished speaking with the Kaferian government,
and they have  never even //heard// of a ship named the
Tarkio."

Odo leaned forward. "That tracks with the fact that the
Tarkio's crew are nowhere to be found on the station."

"So the ship was never taken over by somebody else," Nerys
said. "We were dealing with the original Tarkio crew all
along--whoever they were."

"It gets even better," Sisko said. "After I checked with the
Transport Authority on Bajor, they've discovered that the
Tarkio's manifest was a complete lie. The passengers they
were here to pick up from Bajor? They ever existed. What's
the status on the sensor sweep, Old Man?"

"Completely clean," Jadzia reported. "We ran it twice,
Benjamin. There's no explosive device present on the
station."

"Just to be on the safe side," Odo interjected, "I've also
had my deputies, along with Starfleet security personnel,
search the various nooks and crannies where a bomb might be
strategically hidden. We came up with nothing, as well."

"And, as you know, Captain," Nerys began, "the Tarkio was
the only civilian vessel docked at the station within the
last twenty six hours. The list of non-civilian ships docked
here consists of just the Defiant, and the Safire."

"The Safire's an Akira-Class vessel undergoing an overhaul
of her main engines," O'Brien spoke up. "Captain Hansen was
kind enough to order a search of his own ship for us.
Nothing unusual to report there."

"The Defiant has also been cleared, as well," Worf said.

Julian looked uneasy. "The fact that we haven't found
anything amiss seems to be just as disturbing to me than if
we did find a bomb. One of Odo's deputies lost her life
because of this incident, and we still don't even know why."

"The crew of the Tarkio are the lowest form of cowards,"
Worf growled. "They are without honor, and shall be hunted
down like the petaQ that they are."

"Constable," Sisko suddenly said, his tone soft. "I haven't
had the chance to say this before. I'm very sorry for your
loss."

Odo stared at him for a moment--and to Nerys, he looked
momentarily caught off guard by the consolation. Then Odo
grimly nodded his head. "She was an excellent deputy," he
stated coolly, "one who knew very well the risks of her
job."

He then sat back and primly crossed his arms, as if the
subject was closed.

When Jadzia shot her an awkward glance, Nerys realized what
she meant earlier--Odo certainly didn't appear to be too
shaken over Deputy Élan's death. Nerys couldn't help but be
puzzled at this revelation.

"So we have a ship and crew who weren't what they appeared
to be," Sisko summed up, "who wanted to leave DS9 so badly
they ripped off a chunk of the station in doing so."

"Not to mention they sabotaged the tractor beams," Jadzia
reminded him.

"Yes, how's the investigation going on that front?" Sisko
asked.

"Slowly," O'Brien replied. "Whoever it was--and we can
assume it was the crew of the Tarkio--they hacked into the
system with a computer virus." He gestured at Jadzia. "But
that's really more the Commander's specialty than mine."

"I've located the virus within the central computer core and
isolated it," Jadzia said. "The tractor beam system is back
online. However, the computer virus, once it was isolated
and locked out, immediately began to deteriorate."

"It self-destructed?" Sisko asked.

Jadzia nodded with an annoyed look. "Which prevents us from
trying to track down whoever created the virus in the first
place."

"And so we're back to square one," Julian said with a sigh.

"Perhaps not," Odo told him. He glanced at Sisko. "The
Tarkio had a false registry, Captain, one that was listed
with the Kaferian government. That sort of thing isn't easy
to create; it takes a skilled expert to do it. If I can
track down who created the illegal registry for the Tarkio.
. . ."

"You can track down the Tarkio and her crew," Sisko said
with a nod. "Do it, Constable. And keep me appraised."

The conference broke up shortly after that, and Nerys
hurried to keep pace with Odo, who walked briskly towards
the first turbo lift in the corridor. Despite his behavior
that she had witnessed before, Nerys refused to believe that
Odo could just so coldly sweep aside the death of his
protégé. She figured he must be in some form of shock, or
perhaps it was denial.

He nodded at her as they got on the turbo lift. "You headed
for the Promenade, as well?"

"Yes," Nerys lied. She was actually on her way to Ops, but
she figured that this little detour--along with her white
lie--wouldn't hurt. "How are you holding up, Odo?"

Odo glanced at her with surprise, as if that was the last
question he'd expected to hear. "Quite well, thank you,
Major," he replied amicably. "And yourself?"

Nerys stared at him, stunned. "I'm still deeply saddened by
what happened."

"Yes, well, security breaches like this are always hard to
accept," he replied, with a tinge of regret. "But they're a
fact of life in a busy port of call like this station."

The turbo lift stopped and the door opened on the familiar
noise and bustle of the Promenade. Odo strode out--until,
noticing that Nerys wasn't with him, he stopped and glanced
back at her. "Something wrong, Major?"

Nerys was about to ask if there was something wrong with
//him//,  because  now Odo acted as if Élan Li never even
existed. But then she realized  that, perhaps this was Odo's
way of dealing with Li's death--to brush  it under the rug
for now while he dove into his work. It seemed like a  cold
thing to do, but then, Nerys supposed that Odo really wasn't
like  the rest of them. Perhaps Changelings just had a
different way of  dealing with loss then she and the others
did.

"No, nothing wrong," Nerys replied, as she stepped out of
the turbo lift. She figured that, since Odo was so intent on
proceeding with business as usual, she might as well
accommodate him. "I know you're very busy, Constable. But
we've also had another complaint about excess noise from the
habitat ring." "Not the Deltans, again?"

"Yes, them again."

"Very well. I'm on my way to speak with Quark, to see what
he knows about illegal ship registries. So Deputy Élan can
handle the noise complaint for me."

"Odo!" Nerys said, shocked.

He stared at her, not comprehending. "Yes, Major? What is
it?"

Nerys shook her head, baffled. "You just said you would let
Deputy Élan handle the noise complaint. But Deputy Élan is.
. . ."

". . . gone," he finished for her, his voice intensely
wracked with pain. "She's. . . gone. . . ."

"Odo!" Nerys cried, alarmed, as he began to swoon. His head
and shoulders drooped, as if a deep depression had struck
him.

Then Nerys took a horrified step backwards as Odo abruptly
melted into a large puddle on the floor in front of her
feet.

"Odo?" Nerys helplessly asked the puddle that lay at her
feet. The shimmering liquid offered no evidence that Odo
heard her, or if he were even alive.

An abrupt decline in the ambient noise caught Nerys'
attention, as she glanced around her and saw throngs of
people on the Promenade, curious at the scene before them,
had now gathered around for a better look.

"Everybody stay back, please!" Nerys ordered. She was
grateful for the several Bajoran military and Starfleet
personnel in the crowds who heeded her order and instantly
formed a human/Bajoran fence between the crowds and what was
once Odo.

"Keep them back," Nerys told one of them, a female Starfleet
security  officer with the rank of lieutenant. "Don't let
anybody step. .  . on him.  I'll be right back."

"Yes, Major," she said with a crisp nod.

Nerys ran from the scene, hating with every fiber of her
being to leave Odo like that. She didn't know what had
happened, and a dark part of her mind wondered if she had
just seen Odo die. Nerys prayed to the Prophets that that
wasn't the case; that Odo was still alive. But regardless of
what just happened, Nerys wasn't about to give up on Odo.

She reached Quark's where she found its odious little owner
smiling at her behind the bar. "Good news, Major! We've
found some of your--"

"Never mind that," she said urgently. "I need some kind of a
bucket, right away!"

"A bucket?!" Quark said with a strange look. "You feeling
ill, Major? Maybe you should be seeing Doctor Bas--"

One of the Dabo girls let out a startled scream as Nerys
grabbed Quark by the throat with both of her hands and
pulled him over the bar so that they were face to face.

"I am not in the mood for any of your stupid games," she
snarled at  him. "Either you give me a bucket right now, or
they'll be carrying  //you// out of here in a bucket!"

"Ok, ok," Quark said, as he stared fearfully at her. "J-Just
let me go, and I'll get you your bucket, all right?"

When Nerys released him, Quark practically tore the bar
upside-down in his search for a bucket. He found one,
quickly checked it for cleanliness, and then handed it to
her.

Nerys grabbed the bucket from him and ran back to where Odo
had collapsed. She was grateful to see that the ring of
Bajoran/Starfleet personnel still kept the crowds away from
Odo, who remained nothing more than a puddle on the floor.

"Have you noticed any change?" she asked the lieutenant.
"Has he moved at all?"

"Not that we could see, Major," she replied.

Nerys knelt down at the edge of the puddle and turned the
bucket over on its side. "Odo? I don't know if you can hear
me, but I've found something that can hold you. It's right
here, just follow the sound of my voice."

She was grateful to see the puddle suddenly shudder, then it
solidified enough into a basic tube-like shape that sought
out the bucket with its edge. Nerys pushed the bucket right
up against the shimmering mass. "Here it is, Odo."

Odo then slithered right inside the bucket. When Nerys held
it back up, she saw that Odo had reverted back into a liquid
state inside. "I'll get you back to your quarters, Odo. Just
hold on."

Nerys stood up--then paused when she saw Quark standing
there with an anxious expression on his face. "Will the
Constable be all right, Major?"

His interest seemed sincere. So Nerys nodded. "He'll be
fine, just as soon as I get him back to his quarters." She
stepped past him, then stopped. "Hey Quark, um, sorry. . .
about. . . you know. . . ."

"Actually, it was always my dream to be touched by you,
Major," Quark  shot back. He then rubbed his neck. "Just. .
. not quite so //roughly. . . .//"

Nerys just shook her head in disgust as she ran off with Odo
cradled in her arms.

---

When Odo finally awoke, he wondered what he was doing in his
bucket so soon. It wasn't time yet for him to rest. Then he
grew alarmed when he realized that the last memory he had in
his solid form was speaking to Major Kira on the Promenade.

'How did I wind up here?' he wondered. 'What happened?'

He emerged from the bucket, and then, once on the floor,
solidified into his usual form. A glance at the chronometer
on the wall told him that several hours had passed. Another
glance at the bucket he had just emerged from told Odo that
it wasn't even his usual sleeping place. He was just about
to call Ops to find out just what was going on when he
caught sight of something so extraordinary that it stopped
him in his tracks.

It was Major Kira. She was in his quarters, curled up fast
asleep in a chair by the window. She still wore her uniform,
yet had made herself at home by removing her boots.

If Odo was curious to know what had happened before, now he
was absolutely insatiable. He almost felt like a protagonist
in one of those old earth detective novels who woke up to
find themselves in an inexplicable situation with no
knowledge of what went on before. Usually they wound up
being framed for a crime they did not commit, such as having
murdered the dead body that they woke up in the same room
with.

'Thankfully, that won't happen here,' Odo thought. 'Major
Kira's only  sleeping; she's not actually--" Then he gave
the sleeping Kira a  double take. 'Wait, she //is//
sleeping, isn't she?!'

Odo leaned over and inspected Major Kira very closely. He
was pleased--and relieved--to see that she was in a deep
sleep.

At least until Kira awoke with an alarmed cry, which also
startled Odo to the point where he backed away. Kira arose
from the chair, half asleep, with her body in a combat
stance.

"Take it easy, Major," Odo said, as he held his hands up.
"My apologies for startling you."

Kira glanced around her momentarily, then let out a heavy
sigh of relief when she realized everything was all right.
She then gave Odo a strange look. "Why were you leaning over
me like that?"

"Just checking to see if you were all right," Odo replied.
"I awoke to find myself here, with you sleeping in the
chair. I wasn't sure what had happened."

"Are //you// all right?"

He nodded. "Yes, if a little confused."

"You don't recall what happened?"

"I remember speaking to you on the Promenade," Odo said, as
he searched his memories. "And then I found myself--along
with you--right here."

"You collapsed into a liquid form--into a puddle--right on
the Promenade," Kira told him. "I got a bucket from Quark's
and brought you back here. You've no memory of that?"

Odo shook his head, feeling concerned. Then it hit him: he
recalled what they had been discussing. "Élan Li. . . ."

Just saying her name now was painful for Odo, as if salt had
been poured into an open wound. He thought back to the last
time they spoke; it was over their comm-badges, when Li told
him that she had assembled an armed team and were on their
way up the pylon. Li had asked if Odo had wanted them to
wait for him.

"I never should have let her go up," Odo whispered
regretfully. "I should have made them wait for me, and then
maybe Li would still be alive now."

"Odo, listen to me," Kira said softly. "It wasn't your
fault."

"It was, Major," he insisted. "I am the Constable, the chief
of security aboard this station. I should have been right
there when it happened."

Kira placed her hand on his arm. "But you can't be
everywhere at once. And you can't blame yourself for Li's
death--anymore than I can blame myself for the people who've
died under my command."

"In any event," Odo said grimly. "I've now got a new problem
to deal with--namely, why did I collapse on the Promenade
like that?"

She stared thoughtfully at him for a moment. "I think we
both know why you collapsed on the Promenade, Odo. Li's
death has affected you far more than you've thought."

Odo shook his head. "I've lost Deputies before, Major. While
I was deeply saddened at their loss, I've never reacted like
this."

"That's because none of the others were like Li. She was
your protégé, Odo. But she was also much more. She was a
good friend to you. Despite the fact that you tried to move
on by treating her death just like it was any other, a part
of you, the part that cared for Li, rebelled--which was why
you collapsed on the Promenade."

"You're saying I'm suffering from a psychosomatic illness?"

"I'm saying you're suffering from grief," she replied. "And
there's nothing wrong with that."

Odo was about to argue, yet a deep-rooted feeling within him
confirmed that what Major Kira said was true. Odo did miss
Élan Li terribly--so much so that it ached. Yet there was
something else that he also realized: the fact that Major
Kira was here at all. It would have been enough for Odo had
Kira simply brought him back to his quarters, but he was
touched by the very notion that she had stayed with him like
this.

Kira's comm-badge beeped. "Sisko to Kira."

"Kira here, sir."

"Just checking on how Odo's doing."

When Kira gestured at him, Odo tapped his comm-badge. "I'm
here, Captain. I'm doing fine, thank you."

"Excellent to hear, Constable. If you're feeling up to it,
I'd like you to join us in my office for a strategy session
in a half hour, once Dr. Bashir clears you for duty."

"Looking forward to it, sir. Odo out."

"I'd better get going," Kira said, as she sat down and
pulled her boots back on. "Guess I'll be seeing you at that
meeting."

Odo nodded. "I'd just like to thank you, Major, for all that
you've done for me just now. I appreciate it."

"What are friends for?" Kira asked, as she got to her feet.
She then  paused at the door and added, "By the way, Odo,
you //can// call me  Nerys, you know."

"Yes, Nerys. I'd like that."

The examination in the infirmary was quite routine; Dr.
Bashir quickly cleared Odo for active duty. Once the exam
was over, Odo went to the room where Li's covered body was,
and saw that it was not there.

"Deputy Élan's body has been placed in stasis," Bashir
informed him. "Her family are on their way from Bajor now."

"I see. Will the services be on the station?"

"They didn't say."

"That decision is entirely up to the family, of course," Odo
said.

"No law stopping us from having our own service right here
on the station," Bashir told him. "Deputy Élan had many
friends here, who I'm sure would very much like to pay their
final respects."

"You're right, doctor," Odo replied. "Good idea."

As Odo started to go to the Captain's office, there was
something about the conversation he just had with Dr. Bashir
that bothered him. It wasn't so much the conversation
itself, but the fact that Dr. Bashir mentioned Élan Li's
family were on their way to the station that had stirred up
something at the back of Odo's mind.

Then, right while Odo strode through the Promenade, it
struck him. The Tarkio's cover story was that they expected
passengers. Within two days, DS9 would have known their
cover story was false, but the Tarkio crew weren't planning
to be here then. He wished he knew what they were up to on
the station. What was worth killing Li? Another odd thing
for Odo was the fact that the Tarkio ripped off the
station's docking clamps in its haste to leave. They could
have disengaged themselves easily from the station, without
causing any loss of life, or damage.

Odo and the others had all assumed that this hasty retreat
was done in panic, to get away from a bomb that they'd
planted on the station. But what if the panic was a result
of something else, of a situation that was completely
different?

Yes, of course.

Instead of the Captain's office, Odo went directly over
Quark's, where he sought out the bar's owner. Quark was busy
carrying a tray of glasses over to the bar when he saw Odo
enter.

"Odo, good to see you up and about again," Quark said.

"Thank you, Quark. I just need to ask you some questions
about the Tarkio."

Quark waved his hand. "If you're here to ask me about
illegal ship registries, you can save your breath. Worf just
asked me, and I'll tell you the same thing I told him: I'm
out of the loop as far as that thing's concerned." He
shuddered with repulsion. "You know, Worf could use a good
lesson in manners. . . but what am I saying? He's a Klingon,
after all."

"What about targets of interest on the station for a crew of
thieves?" Odo asked. "Not necessarily Starfleet, or
Federation. . . but anything that might come to mind?"

Quark gave him a frown. "You're thinking the Tarkio crew
were just common thieves?"

"Perhaps. We've looked at this from the angle of being a
Dominion plot, but found nothing. What if the Tarkio crew
were simply here to steal something specific? Have you heard
of anything being on the station worth stealing?"

Quark shook his head. "No, nothing comes to mind.
Ironically, I would have been the one with a valuable
shipment of latinum, if not for a deal that went sour."

"What deal?"

"I was trying to sell a shipment of what I thought were Gorn
diamonds, but they turned out to be Gorn quartz," Quark
said. "I received a very good offer for them, but the buyer
abruptly withdrew. I think he might have found out they were
nothing more than quartz. . . which are still pretty to look
at, but they're not diamonds, if you get my meaning." "I
take it that you didn't tell the buyer up front that what he
was getting was nothing more than worthless quartz?" Odo
asked.

"Uh, that might have slipped my mind," Quark replied.

"Yes, just as I might imagine," Odo said, with a shake of
his head. "Would you mind if we inspect the quartz right
now?"

Once they arrived in the cargo hold, Quark let out a screech
of horror at the sight before them. The seals on the
container that held the quartz had been broken. Before he
let Quark open the container, Odo did a pass over the seals
with his tricorder. Sure enough, there was fresh DNA, barely
several hours old, that was human in origin. It didn't match
any of the Starfleet personnel who presently served aboard
the station.

Odo called Captain Sisko, who came down to the cargo hold
with Worf and Major Kir--Nerys. When Odo explained the
situation to them, Worf merely shrugged and said, "What does
this have to do with the situation at hand?"

"Everything," Odo told him. "Instead of being part of a
Dominion plot, my belief is that the crew of the Tarkio were
merely common thieves who were after Quark's diamonds."

"But they weren't real diamonds," Nerys said.

"Yes, but the crew of the Tarkio didn't know that at the
time," Odo replied. "Once they did discover that these were
merely common quartz, they fled the station in a panic.
Perhaps they thought they were the targets of a sting
operation."

"It's a good lead," Sisko said. "But it brings us no closer
to finding out where the Tarkio went."

"I have an idea of who I can speak to regarding that," Odo
said. He turned to Quark and asked, "Give me the name of
your buyer for the Gorn diamonds."

Frelik wasn't a very hard Ferengi to find. He was in his
quarters, sound asleep with a Dabo girl in bed, when Odo and
his deputies found him. The Dabo girl quickly left the
quarters, tucking a few strips of latinum in-between her
ample cleavage, as Odo rousted Frelik from his deep slumber.

Once dressed, the Ferengi was roughly manhandled all the way
down to Odo's office, where Odo had him placed in a
particularly dark and dank looking cell that he liked to use
for interrogations.

Odo left Frelik alone in the cell for a solid hour before he
even entered the room. And by then, Frelik looked as if he
were ready to talk.

"I understand you were engaged in a transaction with Quark,
the owner of the bar here on DS9," Odo said, as he slowly
walked around Frelik, who sat fidgeting nervously in a
chair. "The transaction was over a shipment of diamonds that
had been mined from the Gorn home world."

In response, Frelik began to bawl like a baby. "I admit it!"
he cried. "I wanted to get the diamonds without having to
pay for them, so I set up the heist."

Odo leaned over and glared right into his face. "So //you//
were  responsible for the death of one of my deputies, the
injuries to  several others, as well as the massive damage
caused to this station!"

"I had no idea that it would turn out like it did! They were
just supposed to steal the diamonds and leave on the next
shuttle!" Frelik said.

"Did the Tarkio crew know that what they were stealing were
just worthless quartz, Frelik?"

He stared at Odo in shock. "Quartz? It was just quartz?"

Odo stepped back and wearily pressed his fingers against the
bridge of his nose. 'It's bad enough that a good woman like
Élan Li died as a result of a bunch of common thieves, but
now it's obvious that they weren't very good thieves to
begin with.'

"Look, I'll make amends to you," Frelik said. "Just name
your price. . . ."

"My price is information," Odo said. "I want the whereabouts
of the crew of the Tarkio. Give me that, help me to lock
them up, and I'll ask for leniency for you."

"You want to know where they are? Easy! They're in the
Milacron system," Frelik said with a wave of his hand. "In
the southern hemisphere of the fourth planet from the sun.
That's their usual hideout after they pull off a job."

After he gave Odo the exact coordinates, Frelik cheerfully
asked, "Does this mean I can go, now?"

Odo glared at him. "Can you bring Deputy Élan Li back to
life?"

"Um, no. . . ."

"Then that answers your question, now, doesn't it?"

---

The Defiant made swift work of the Tarkio, which they found
parked in orbit of the fourth planet in the Milacron system.
All it took was one phaser hit to its engines, and the
ship--which was the only means of escape for the crew--was
dead in the water, so to speak. Then it was a simple matter
of beaming down to the planet's surface and rounding up the
crewmembers, who were a motley assortment of thieves and
scoundrels that Odo had ever seen.

Odo saw why the crew chose this place as their haven after a
job; it was a tropical paradise, complete with warm beaches
and swaying palm trees that lay right on the edge of a vast
ocean. At one point, just after they had rounded up and
arrested the Tarkio's crew, Jadzia Dax had turned to Nerys
and said, "To hell with Quark's holo-suites! The next time
we feel like going for a swim, maybe we should just come
here!"

It was on the ride back to DS9, while he interrogated the
Tarkio's crew aboard the Defiant, that Odo discovered that a
human among them matched the DNA that he found on Quark's
container of quartz in the cargo hold. He was a well-worn
man in his thirties who, judging from the scars on his face
and body, looked as if he'd never missed a fight in his
life.

When Odo brought him in for a private interrogation in a
room aboard the Defiant, the man, Norco Andres--demanded to
know who was going to pay for the damage to the Tarkio,
which was being towed behind the Defiant.

"Do you own the Tarkio?" Odo asked him.

"I'm the owner and sole pilot," Andres bragged. "And I
intend to file my own charges against Bajor and the
Federation once this unlawful arrest is finally resolved."

"Unlawful arrest?" Odo said, as he grew very annoyed. "Mr.
Andres, your DNA was on the container of quartz that you and
your accomplices tried to steal. Not to mention that pieces
of the Deep Space Nine space station are still clinging to
the side of your ship! Plus, your boss, Frelik, completely
sold you out--oh, I'd say we have a very good case against
you."

"Then there's nothing further for us to say to each other,"
Andres muttered. "I'll see you in court."

"You said you were the owner and sole pilot?" Odo asked.
"Were you piloting the ship when it left DS9, taking part of
the docking collar with it?"

"No comment."

Odo leaned forward. "Did you know that a young woman, a
deputy by the name of Élan Li, died as a direct result of
that incident? Oh yes, you're also looking at a murder
charge, plus charges of attempted murder, as well."

"Were you there, Constable?" Andres asked.

Odo flinched, as if stung. "No, I wasn't. . . ."

"Too bad," Andres sneered. "Because then you would have been
blown  into space right along with your little tart
girlfriend. And //I'd// be spared the annoyance of
listening to you yammering away right now."

When he looked back on this moment, Odo could not recall
exactly when he had lost his temper. But the next thing Odo
knew was that he stood up from the table with his hand
tightly squeezing Andres' throat with a vise-like grip. Odo
had to admit, it was most satisfying to see Andres gasping
for air, as his eyes bulged out of their sockets. It was
good to make him feel what Li must have felt just before she
died.

The door opened, and when Odo glanced back, he saw Worf
enter the room. If the Klingon was alarmed by this scene, he
did not show it. Instead, he walked over to Odo and gave him
an approving nod.

"If you wish," Worf told Odo in a conspiratorial whisper, "I
could guard the door for you while you wring the life out of
this petaQ. We can then make up a story about how he tried
to escape. But we shall have to make sure we can adequately
explain his--"

"No!" Odo said, repulsed by the very idea. He immediately
released Andres, who fell to the floor with his hands around
his neck, gratefully sucking in air. "What you're proposing
is horrendous! He shall face proper justice in the court."

Worf merely nodded at him. "Very well, Constable. Shall I
escort the prisoner back to the brig?"

"If you would, please, Commander." Odo went with Worf, just
to make certain the Klingon did not do anything untoward to
Andres. But the journey back to the brig was uneventful.
When they both emerged outside in the cramped corridor,
something occurred to Odo. He turned to Worf and said,
"Thank you, Commander."

"For what, Constable?"

"For what you did back there," Odo said. "By suggesting we
do such a terrible thing as murdering a prisoner and
covering it up, you shocked me back into reality. So. . .
thank you."

Yet Worf merely smiled mysteriously as he continued to
stroll down the corridor.

"Mr. Worf," Odo said anxiously. "You //were// just saying
those things  just to shock me, correct? You didn't really
//mean// what you said  back  there, did you?"

Now Worf's smile spread into a broad grin. "Excuse me,
Constable," he said with a slight bow. "But I am required on
the bridge."

A puzzled Odo stared after Worf in the corridor, wondering
if he should keep a close eye on the Klingon in the future.

---
A day later. . .


Odo was pleased that Li's family agreed to have her funeral
held on the station. As her mother had commented to him, Li
felt that Odo--and everyone else aboard DS9--were her
extended family. After the funeral services, the family took
the remains back to Bajor, while Li's friends and co-workers
on the station met in a conference room that had been
cleared for them, with tables set up along the edges that
were loaded with food and drink--all supplied by
Quark--surprisingly, free of charge.

When Odo saw the Ferengi was busy setting up another platter
of food on one of the tables, he took the time to walk over
to him. "I must say, Quark, that I'm quite shocked to see
you donate your time, along with everything else, for no
payment."

Quark shot him an insulted look. "What am I, an ogre? Deputy
Élan came into the bar often enough so that I got to know
her, too."

Odo held up a hand. "I meant no offense."

"Well, good," Quark said, as he calmed down. "Besides, I
feel like this is partially my fault, anyway. After all, she
was killed because of that stupid container filled with
quartz."

"You can't be blamed for what happened, Quark."

"Maybe not, but I felt like this was the least I could do."

Odo gave him an approving nod. "It's much appreciated,
Quark."

Quark stared at him fearfully. "You're not gonna hug me, or
anything, are you?"

Odo folded his arms and shook his head. "No, Quark, I am not
going to hug you. . . ."

"Good," Quark muttered with a relieved look. "I was starting
to think you were getting soft on me, Constable."

"I wouldn't count on that ever happening, either, Quark."

Odo mingled with the guests; while somber, the occasion
still felt somewhat like a party as people joyfully
remembered the life of Élan Li. He was pleased to see the
entire command staff was there, along with those of his
deputies who were off duty. Odo was even pleasantly
surprised to see Jake Sisko and Cassidy Yates, as well as
Keiko O'Brien. He took condolences from them all, and
reminisced with them over the happy times spent with Li--yet
there was one person whom Odo did not see here, and she was
the last he'd expected to be absent.

Then he saw her standing at one of the windows, staring out
into space.

Odo walked up beside Nerys and when he saw that she had been
crying, he asked, "Are you all right?"

"No," Nerys said, with a slight smile. "But that's how I'm
supposed to feel, right?"

He nodded. "I want to thank you, Nerys, for your help in
setting up the services."

"It was my pleasure," she replied. "I'm a little surprised,
Odo. I never thought you were very religious."

"No, I'm not religious at all," he said. "But Li was,
intensely so. And by arranging a formal service of her
faith, I wanted to properly honor her memory."

"Oh, Odo, that's so touching!" Nerys said, as her eyes
welled up with tears. "Look at me, here I go again! I
haven't been able to stop crying all day."

"It's grief, Nerys," Odo told her. "I should know, because I
feel the same way. And, as someone very wise and intelligent
once told me, there's nothing wrong with it."

Nerys smiled up at him with deep affection as she took his
hand into hers. They both stood there for a time, hand in
hand, as they silently gazed at the wondrous beauty of the
stars beyond the window.

---

The End