BEST OVERALL STORY - ROUND XIII (tie) ~ BEST KIRA/FEMALE
Title: Everybody Comes to Leeta's
Author: longbeachtrekstar ( longbeachtrekstar@yahoo.com )
Series: DS9 (AU)
Codes: D/L, D/K imp, O/?
Rating: R
Disclaimer: Paramount owns Star Trek. Warner Brothers owns "Casablanca" (1942). This was written as a fan's tribute (to both genres). The only profit is (hopefully) an entertaining story.
Archiving: FFF, ASCEM, others please ask.
Feedback: Yes please, here or by email.
Note: Written for lucky Round XIII of the Femme Fuh-q Fest -- http://www.oocities.org/femme_fuhq_fest/
Summary: The fundamental things apply, as time goes by...
by longbeachtrekstar, January 2004
^With the coming of the Cardassian Invasion, many eyes in imprisoned Bajor turned hopefully or desperately toward the freedom of the Federation. Regulon became the great embarkation point. But not everybody could get to Regulon directly, so a torturous, roundabout refugee trail sprang up. From planet to planet, by shuttle or freighter, to Terok Nor, on the edge of Cardassian-controlled territory. Here the fortunate ones, through money or influence or luck, might obtain exit visas and scurry to Regulon, and from there to the Federation. But the others wait on Terok Nor... and wait and wait and wait.^
Chief Constable Odo looked over the report on his viewscreen. Switching on the comm-link, he spoke to his staff on patrol. ^"To all officers. Two Cardassian couriers carrying important official documents were murdered on the transport from Oran. Murderer and possible accomplices headed for Terok Nor. Round up all suspicious characters and search them for stolen documents. Important."^
Odo stood up and looked at the chronometer with a sigh. The new Cardassian administrator was due to arrive soon. Another military blow-hard looking to make a name for himself without ever actually going into battle. They rotated through here like interns. He proceeded to the docking port just as the new administrator's ship was completing its post-flight checks. Odo consulted his dossier. "Gul... Dukat." Good strong Cardassian name, he thought sarcastically. Odo stepped forward as the shuttle's doors opened. "Welcome to Terok Nor."
The Gul also stepped forward, his smile not belying his insincerity. ^"Thank you, Constable. It's very good to be here."^
^"You may find the climate of Terok Nor a trifle warm, Sir."^
^"Oh, we Cardassians must get used to all climates, from Betazed to Ferenginar. But perhaps you were not referring to the weather."^
^"What else, my dear Administrator?"^
Gul Dukat abandoned his friendly persona. "How is the murder investigation going? This terrorism cannot go unanswered. And the galactic passports -- they must be recovered! I demand a resolution at once!"
^"Realizing the importance of the case, my men are rounding up twice the usual number of suspects.^ In the meantime, may I offer you some refreshment?"
"What do you suggest?"
"We have a multitude of options. Senor Quark runs the Blue Parrot Cafe, but most visitors find they prefer Leeta's Cafe Bajorain."
*****
From a back room, Leeta made her entrance for the evening. She wore an immaculate white tuxedo, and her hair was up in a very conservative business-like fashion. She moved confidently from table to table, chatting, laughing at unfunny jokes, patting customers on the shoulder. She was offered many drinks, asked often to sit and visit, but she rarely got involved with individuals, and never drank... in front of the customers, anyway.
"Good evening, Rom," she said to the Ferrengi. Rom was the Cafe's piano player, and her best friend on Terok Nor -- which meant best friend anywhere.
"Evenin', Boss," said the musician as he tickled the ivories. It was a genuine upright piano, with no electronic enhancements. It was Rom's pride and joy, and it definitely helped give the Cafe Bajorain its special ambiance. Rom smiled maliciously as he looked over Leeta's shoulder at a young human woman coming through the door. "Don't look now, Boss, but trouble's headin' your way."
Even before she turned around, Leeta knew who and what Rom was referring to. She turned to greet the girl. "Yvonne, my dear. So good to see you again."
"Oh, really? Well, you certainly don't *act* like you want to see me."
"What ever do you mean?" Leeta asked, unable to keep a sarcastic edge out of her voice.
^"Where were you last night?"^
^"That's so long ago, I don't remember."^
^"Will I see you tonight?"^
^"I never make plans that far ahead."^
"Just as I thought! We're through, Leeta. You're a selfish, egotistical pig, and if you want to rot on this damned station then you'll do it alone!" With that, she turned on her heels and stormed out. Straight to the Blue Parrot, no doubt, thought Leeta. Straight to Sugar Daddy #2. Leeta knew there was no need to be concerned in the least about Yvonne's well-being.
She heard a familiar voice from behind her. ^"How extravagant you are, throwing away women like that. Some day they may be scarce."^
She turned around and smiled at Odo, expertly hiding her momentary shock at seeing him sitting with a Cardassian Gul. "No matter how scarce they may become, I doubt if *you* will ever find yourself alone."
"Who better to please the multitudes of exotic refugees who pass through here, starved for affection, than a shape-shifter like myself? I can, after all, be all things to all women."
^"And when it comes to women, Odo, you're a true democrat."^
"Sit with us, Leeta. Allow me to introduce Gul Dukat, our new administrator." Leeta bowed, ever so slightly, ever so politely, but did not sit.
"A Bajoran," said Dukat obviously. "Tell me, what do *you* think of the Cardassian occupation?"
"Excuse me, gentlemen, but ^your business is politics. Mine is running a saloon."^
^"Really? What is your nationality?"^
^"I'm a drunkard."^
Odo laughed. ^"And that makes Leeta a citizen of the galaxy."^
Dukat continued to press for a weakness. ^"Are you one of those people who cannot imagine the Cardassians on their beloved Bajor?"^
^"Not particularly *my* beloved Bajor."^
^"Can you imagine us on Vulcan?"^
^"When you get there, ask me."^
^"How about Earth?"^
^"Well, there are certain sections of Earth that I wouldn't advise you to try to invade."^
Dukat was growing exasperated as Leeta parried his every move. "You think you're so smart, but you are not always so. ^We have a complete dossier on you."^ He held up a pocket-sized PADD with several lines of text on its screen.
Squinting to read it, Leeta asked, ^"Are my eyes really brown?"^
Dukat finally stood, irate. "I've had enough of this so-called hospitality from this... serving wench!" Leeta's icy facade was unbroken. "Good night, Constable." Odo nodded a farewell as Dukat beat a retreat from the Cafe.
Odo stood up next to Leeta. In silent amusement, they both watched the Cardassian disappear down the Promenade. Odo turned. "What *does* he have on you, in that little dossier of his?"
"Me? I'm just a saloon keeper."
"And I'm one of the Prophets. ^What in heaven's name brought you to Terok Nor?"^
^"My health. I came here for the fresh air."^
^"Fresh air? What fresh air? We're in a space station."^
^"I was misinformed."^
The light-hearted atmosphere between them abruptly evaporated as Odo looked at Leeta more seriously. His eyes shifted left and right. Then, with a toss of his head, he motioned her over to a more private corner. "I hate to ask... not because I don't think you're capable of stealing, but because I know you'd never tell me..."
"You think I have the missing passports."
"Well, do you?" Leeta only raised her eyebrows, leaving Odo to answer his own question. "As I said, I knew you'd never tell me." Leeta turned to go, but Odo put a hand on her shoulder. "One more thing... ^There is a woman who's arrived on Terok Nor on her way to Regulon. She will offer a fortune to anyone who will furnish her with a passport."^
^"Yeah? What's her name?"^
^"Kira Nerys. She's escaped from the Cardassians more than once... But no matter how clever she is, she'll still need a passport. Or should I say two?"^
^"Why two?"^
^"She is traveling with another lady."^
^"She'll take one."^
^"I think not. I have seen the lady, and if she did not leave her in Oran, she certainly won't leave her on Terok Nor."^
^"Well, maybe she's not quite as romantic as you are."^
"Please, Leeta. If you just *happen* to come across those missing passports, do me a favor? Don't give them to Kira. Sell them to some poor Andorian trying to get home."
"Don't worry, Odo. ^I stick my neck out for nobody."^
^"A wise foreign policy."^
Odo left to follow after Dukat and keep tabs on him. Leeta pasted her smile back on and returned to working the crowd. Hours later, the room was dark. The chairs were upended onto the tables as the automatic floor-cleaner followed its pre-programmed pattern around the room. Leeta sat at a corner table, pouring herself shots. There was a time when she would swig from the bottle, but using a glass was much more dignified.
Perhaps she should chase after Yvonne again, just for tonight. Just to fill the void. But that was impossible. Try as she did, night after night, nothing could fill the emptiness inside her. She poured another shot.
*****
Late the next afternoon, Odo strolled into the Cafe, where the early crowd was filtering in for dinner. Rom was playing a light, bouncy little tune, but Leeta was nowhere to be seen. Odo approached him and gestured questioningly.
"No, she ain't here," replied Rom. "Found an empty bottle here this morning. I think she had another one of *those* nights... No telling when we'll see her."
Odo grunted knowingly and wandered off. Amazingly, however, Leeta did show up not long after. "I'll be in back," she announced to Rom. She only said that whenever she did not want to be disturbed.
The evening worn on, and the dinner crowd turned into the cocktail crowd. A female couple entered the Cafe. One was a tall, dark-haired Trill. Her long locks spilled gracefully over her bare shoulders, where her elegant leopard spots played hide-and-seek among the curls. A simple but chic dress encircled her from the bosom, down. Although she was already on the arm of a companion, she seemed to search the crowd for someone.
The other was Bajoran. Her red hair was rather short, and a shade akin to the rust-colored pantsuit she was wearing. She had a confident air about her, but not quite the charm of her companion. She pointed to an empty table for the Trill to take as she headed toward the bar for drinks.
The Trill, however, took a roundabout route and passed by the piano. Looking up, Rom hit one of his few bad notes when he saw the woman standing before him. "Jadzia!"
"Hello, Rom."
^"I never expected to see you again... A lot of water under the bridge."^
^"Where is Leeta?"^
^"I don't know. I ain't seen her all day."^
^"When will she be back?"^
^"Not today. She went home."^
^"You used to be a much better liar, Rom."^
^"Leave her alone, Jadzia. You're bad luck to her."^
Jadzia ran her fingers across the smooth mahogany of the piano. ^"Play it once, Rom, for old times' sake."^
Rom looked up toward the ceiling as he continued playing an uninspiring number. ^"I don't know what you mean, Jadzia."^
^"Play it, Rom. Play 'As Time Goes By.' "^
^"Why, I can't remember it, Jadzia. I'm a little rusty on it."^
^"I'll hum it for you."^ Jadzia hummed a few bars, and Rom relented, beginning to play the notes. ^"Sing it, Rom."^
^"You must remember this
A kiss is just a kiss
A sigh is just a sigh
The fundamental things apply
As time goes by
^"And when two lovers woo
They still say, 'I love you'
On that you can rely
No matter what the future brings
As time goes by."^
Suddenly, Leeta came storming out of her office. Without a sideways glance, she walked up to Rom, hissing. ^"I thought I told you never to play..."^ Rom's music and Leeta's rant stopped at the same moment, as she was struck dumb by the sight of Jadzia. "Jad?"
Jadzia smiled a warm smile, the likes of which Leeta hadn't seen in years. ^"Let's see, the last time we met was..."^
^"La Belle Aurore."^
^"How nice. You remembered. But of course, that was the day the Cardassians landed on Bajor."^
It was Leeta's turn to smile, though hers was more melancholy. ^"I remember every detail. The Cardassians wore gray. You wore blue."^
Just then, Jadzia's friend returned, drinks in hand. "Oh, Leeta," said Jadzia. "I'd like you to meet my... friend, Kira Nerys."
Kira! I should have known, thought Leeta, as she extended her hand. "A pleasure to meet you."
*****
Later that night, the Cafe was closed and the Promenade outside was deserted. Rom sat at his piano, experimenting with various chords. This time, Leeta didn't even wait for him to leave before she broke out a bottle.
"Two nights in a row?" asked Rom. "Why don't you go home?"
^"Have a drink."^
^"No, not me, Boss."^
^"Well then, don't have a drink."^
^"Boss, let's get out of here."^
^"No sir. I'm waiting for a lady."^
^"Please Boss, let's go. Ain't nothing but trouble for you here."^
^"She's coming back. I *know* she's coming back."^ Leeta sat at the bar with a glass in her hand, staring vacantly at the bottles lined up along the wall. ^"Of all the gin joints on all the stations in all the galaxy, she walks into mine."^ She looked up. ^"What's that you're playin'?"^
^"Oh, just a little somethin' of my own."^
^"Well, stop it! You know what I want to hear."^
^"No, I don't."^
^"You played it for her, you can play it for me."^
^"Well, I don't think I can remember..."^
^"If she can stand it, I can. Play it!"^
Rom began to play the song again, and as he did, Leeta was swept up in a wave of nostalgia, carried away to a world that lived now only in her memories...
*****
Two years ago, on Bajor. The Cardassians were just beginning to spread their villainous influence across the galaxy. Bajor was abuzz with activity as their local defenses prepared to repel the coming assault. In the midst of all this turmoil, a disillusioned Bajoran encountered a young, unjoined Trill.
Having recognized the menace the Cardassians posed before almost anyone else on Bajor, Leeta had joined the Maquis Foreign Legion as a Bajoran ex-patriot. She fought the Cardassians in one failed encounter after another, retreating before them across the sector. As she looked around her homeworld, she had no delusions about their ability to repel the coming invaders.
She was about to leave forever when she first saw Jadzia. Jadzia saw her as well, and it was love at first sight. ^"Who are you really and what were you before?"^ Leeta had finally asked one night. ^"What did you do and what did you think, huh?"^
^"No questions,"^ answered Jadzia, teasingly.
Holding up her glass of champagne, Leeta clinked it against Jadzia's. ^"Here's looking at you, kid."^ They drained their glasses, and Leeta quickly refilled them. ^"Henri, the proprietor, wants us to finish this bottle, and then three more. He says he'll water his garden with champagne before he'll let the Cardassians drink it."^
They sipped and kissed, and sipped and kissed, and soon the drinks were forgotten. They were in each others arms, kissing passionately. Back in their hotel suite, Leeta slipped a strap of Jadzia's blue dress off her shoulder, exposing her left breast. She kissed her way down Jad's neck, following the spots as they curved around the Trill's breast. Leeta kissed her way as far down as the dress would allow, then returned to Jadzia's soft bosomy flesh. Her eyes closed, and her mouth gently circling a nipple, she reached blindly to remove the other half of Jadzia's dress. Pulling it down around her waist, Jadzia's arms were entangled in it like a straightjacket, and both of them tumbled to the floor in a fit of laughter.
Jadzia lay on the floor on her back, Leeta above her, staring into her eyes. "After tonight, Jad, you must leave here. With me. It isn't safe anymore."
^"Leeta, dear. I'll go with you anyplace. We'll get on a shuttle together and never stop."^
Later that night, the two lay in each others' arms, wrapped in a tangle of sweaty sheets. From beneath a pile of cast-off clothes in the corner, the warble of Jadzia's personal communicator sounded. With little enthusiasm, the Trill pulled herself from their warm cocoon and fished the device from the pile. "Hello?" she said sleepily. "What?" she said, turning to face Leeta. She then turned and walked from the bedroom to the outer parlor. Leeta could only hear bits and pieces of the one-sided conversation. "Oh... Oh... Uh-huh... Yes, yes, of course."
Minutes later, Jadzia returned to their bed, but she wrapped herself separately in the sheets. Leeta slid over to her. "What's wrong? What was that all about?"
"Nothing. Please, let's just sleep."
The next morning, warm sun filtered in through the gauzy curtains of the French doors. The doors opened onto a patio which afforded a view of the Bajoran capital. Spacecraft buzzed by overhead, and far up in the sky, flashes of plasma and lasers were visible.
Leeta sat in a wicker chair, an image of cool control. She'd been in many more-treacherous scenarios than this. Jadzia, however, was a nervous wreck, fluttering about the hotel room, trying to collect her things. Leeta got up and intercepted Jadzia in the middle of one of her manic strides. "Relax, Jad. Relax. We've got plenty of time to get to the station and catch a shuttle out of here."
Jadzia looked at her, appearing confused. "No," she said vacantly. "I have to go into the city first -- alone. It's important."
"What could you possibly-"
"Leeta, please!"
"Okay, okay. There's another shuttle at noon. Rom and I will meet you at the station then."
Jadzia suddenly composed herself, approached Leeta, and hugged her. ^"Was that cannon fire, or is it my heart pounding?"^ Staring into Leeta's eyes, she said, ^"Kiss me, Leeta. Kiss me as if it were the last time."^
Several hours later, Leeta was nervously pacing the launch platform as Rom looked on. Leeta looked at her watch and checked the pedestrian entrance every time someone passed through it.
"Boss! C'mon, the shuttle's about to leave."
"No. You go on. I can't leave without her."
Just then, her communicator beeped. Looking at it, she read a text message:
^"Leeta, I cannot go with you or ever see you again. You must not ask why. Just believe that I love you. Go, my darling, and the Prophets bless you. -- Jadzia"^ Leeta slammed the communicator down on the sidewalk, where it shattered into a hundred pieces.
*****
The sudden noise roused Leeta from her reverie. She stared blankly at the broken glass she had obviously just thrown against the floor. She looked around. Rom had gone, and she wondered what time it was.
There was a hesitant tap at the open doorway. Leeta turned to see Jadzia meekly entering the room. ^"Why did you have to come to Terok Nor?"^ asked Leeta. ^"There are other places."^
^"I wouldn't have come if I'd known that you were here."^
^"It's funny about your voice -- how it hasn't changed. I can still hear it. 'Leeta, dear. I'll go with you anyplace. We'll get on a shuttle together and never stop.' "^
^"Please don't... I can understand how you feel."^
"What? Now? How about then? ^Standing on a station platform with a comical look on my face because my insides had just been kicked out... Tell me, who was it you left me for? Was it Kira, or were there others in between? Or aren't you the kind to kiss and tell?"^ In tears, Jadzia laid a slap across Leeta's face. ^"Why did you come back?"^
^"I'll be leaving Terok Nor soon, and we'll never see each other again. We knew very little about each other when we were in love on Bajor. If we leave it that way, maybe we'll remember those days and not tonight."^
Leeta took Jadzia's hands in her own. "I'm sorry. Let's make tonight worth remembering."
"No, Leeta. You see, Kira Nerys is my wife, and was -- even when I knew you on Bajor. When I first met you, I thought she was dead -- killed by the Cardassians. But that day we said good-bye was the day I found out she was still alive."
"That doesn't make our love any less true, does it? You can't imagine how it's been for me without you. Stay with me, just for tonight."
"I can't..."
"Look me in the eye! Look me in the eye and tell me you don't love me anymore, and I'll let you go, now and forever. But if you feel *anything*..."
Struggling against unseen forces holding her back, Jadzia fell forward and into Leeta's arms. Both of them sank into a kiss they'd been secretly longing for for years. Jadzia smelled of spring flowers and desire, and Leeta reveled in her scent. Leeta smelled of booze and self-pity, but Jadzia didn't care.
Leeta's hands found the hem of Jadzia's dress and raised it up, grabbing handfuls of smooth flesh through delicate panties. "No," cried Jadzia. "No, we can't!" But she made no move to withdraw from Leeta's hot embrace. Indeed, her hands too were busy, sliding inside Leeta's jacket and under her shirt to find Bajoran tits aching to be groped. A tearing sound was heard, and Leeta tossed aside Jad's rended panties. Hooking her arms under Jadzia's thighs, she hoisted her and tossed her onto the bar, sending the whiskey bottle flying...
*****
The next evening, Dukat and his Cardassian cronies were in the Cafe in greater numbers than usual. The Gul bought his men round after round of drinks, and they were getting quite boisterous. As Odo entered on his evening visit, Dukat flagged him down as if he were an old friend. "Odo! Odo!" He patted the seat next to him. "Sit! Drink!"
"None for me, thank you. I'm on duty," he said, as if that ever made any difference. He noticed that Yvonne was sitting with the Gul and gave her a sardonic smile. Turning to the bar, he called out, ^"A bottle of your best champagne for the Gul, and put it on my bill."^ Dukat started to object, but Odo cut him off. ^"It's a little game we play. They put it on the bill. I tear up the bill. It is very convenient."^ Dukat laughed, approving of Odo's abuse of authority.
Odo walked passed Rom, who was playing the piano with his typical easy grace, over to where Leeta was surveying her establishment. She was leaning backward against the bar, elbows resting on the rail. "Your standards must be dropping, Leeta," he teased. Referring to Dukat and his henchmen, he said, "It looks as if you'll let anyone in here."
^"I gave him the best table... knowing he is Cardassian and would take it anyway."^
"And it appears," mused Odo, ^"Yvonne's gone over to the enemy."^
^"Who knows?"^ smiled Leeta. ^"In her own way, she may constitute an entire second front."^ The two shared a chuckle. Suddenly, Leeta's relaxed expression hardened as she looked across the room. Odo followed her gaze to where Kira was entering. Kira -- seemingly unaware of Leeta and Jadzia's history, or encounter the night before -- gave a friendly smile and wave. Leeta nodded in response.
"Remember what we talked about," said Odo as he moved away, ambling into the back room to try his hand at roulette, baccarat, or perhaps dabo.
The red-haired visitor joined Leeta at the bar. Standing next to each other, they spoke without looking at each other. "Word has it," began Kira, "that you might have some passports for sale."
"And if I did?"
^"You must know it's very important I get off Terok Nor. It's my privilege to be one of the leaders of a great movement. Do you know what it means to the lives of millions of people that I be free to reach the Federation and continue my work?"^
^"I'm not interested in politics. The problems of the galaxy are not my department."^
Kira turned to face her. ^"My friends in the Underground tell me that you've got quite a record. You ran guns to Flaxia. You fought against the Cardassians on Korma."^
^"What of it?"^
^"Isn't it strange that you always happen to be fighting on the side of the underdog?"^
^"Yes. I found that a very expensive hobby, too. But then, I never was much of a businesswoman."^
^"Are you enough of a businesswoman to appreciate an offer of a hundred thousand credits?"^
^"I appreciate it, but I don't accept it."^
^"I'll raise it to two hundred thousand."^
^"My friend, you could make it a million credits, or three. My answer would still be the same."^
Kira appeared perplexed, but not yet perturbed. ^"There must be some reason why you won't let me have them."^
^"Don't you sometimes wonder if it's worth all this? I mean, what you're fighting for,"^ asked Leeta.
Kira pondered this a moment before responding. ^"You might as well question why we breathe. If we stop breathing, we'll die. If we stop fighting our enemies, the galaxy will die."^
^"And what of it? It'll be out of its misery."^
^"Do you know how you sound, Leeta? Like a woman who's trying to convince herself of something she doesn't believe in her heart. I wonder if you know that you're trying to escape from yourself, and that you'll never succeed."^
^"You seem to know all about me."^
^"I know a good deal more about you than you suspect. I know, for instance, that you are in love with a woman. It is perhaps a strange circumstance that we both should be in love with the same woman."^ Leeta was startled, and for once it showed. Kira was not nearly as unaware as she'd thought. ^"The first evening I came into this Cafe, I knew there was something between you and Jadzia. Since no one is to blame, I demand no explanation. I ask only one thing. If you won't give me the passports, all right. But I want Jadzia to be safe. I ask you as a favor to use the passports to take her away from here."^
^"You love her that much?"^
^"Yes, I love her that much."^
At that moment, Leeta noticed Dukat looking in their direction with a little too much interest. "Don't look now, but it looks like someone is interested in meeting you." Kira instinctively started to turn her head. "*Don't* look, I said!" admonished Leeta in a harsh whisper. "Okay, go into the gaming room -- there's a back exit. Nice an easy, now. Go."
As Kira slipped away toward the back room, Dukat rose to pursue her. Leeta stepped into his path. "Dukat! My dear Gul, have a drink with me."
"That woman! That was Kira Nerys!"
"Kira who? No, no, no. That was Sasha, one of my croupiers."^
Dukat pushed by her into the gaming room. Looking around, however, Kira was nowhere to be seen. He turned angrily to Leeta. "Where is she?"
"I don't know what-"
"Do not play games with me, *saloonkeeper*, or I'll arrest you too, for aiding a known enemy." Having heard the commotion, Odo pulled himself away from the roulette table and approached the two. Dukat now turned on him. "It is common knowledge that this wench is hiding the passports. Until she sees fit to cooperate, this establishment is closed! See to it!"
As Dukat turned and marched out of the Cafe, Odo called out to the crowd. "By order of Administrator Dukat, this establishment is hereby closed!" With that, his men began ushering patrons out of the Cafe.
Leeta protested. ^"How can you close me up? On what grounds?"^
Odo turned to face her. ^"I'm shocked, *shocked*, to find that gambling is going on in here."^
At that moment, a croupier appeared from the back room. ^"Your winnings, sir."^
^"Oh. Thank you very much. Everybody out at once!"^
*****
Leeta sat alone in her darkened quarters. A fresh bottle and glass sat on her table, but remained untouched. She wanted to remain clear-headed tonight as she thought what to do next. In her hands, she endlessly shuffled the galactic passports -- slipped to her by a ne'er-do-well acquaintance of hers seconds ahead of Odo's men. The buzzer sounded at her door. "Come in," she said, slipping the evidence out of sight.
Jadzia entered, in tears. "Leeta! They're going to arrest her! Kira!" She fell into Leeta'a arms. "I was all set to tell her, Leeta. Tonight, I was going to tell her I was staying with you. But now she says we have to make a run for it -- passports or not!"
"You wanted to stay... with me?"
^"I'll never have the strength to leave you again."^
^"And Kira?"^
^"Oh, you'll help her now, Leeta, won't you? You'll see that she gets out? Then she'll have her work, all that she's been living for."^
^"All except one. She won't have you."^
Still in her arms, Jadzia cried. ^"I can't fight it anymore. I ran away from you once. I can't do it again. Oh, I don't know what's right any longer. You have to think for both of us. For all of us."^
"Okay, okay." Leeta pulled back from Jadzia, taking her by the shoulders as she looked her in the eyes and spoke reassuringly. "You go home. Don't worry. You and Kira meet me at the launch bay tomorrow at zero-six-hundred. I'll make sure she gets away." Jadzia's eyes had drifted downward. Leeta took her chin between thumb and fingers, lifting her up. "You'll be there this time, won't you?" she teased. Jadzia didn't smile, and Leeta regretted her little joke. "Go now. I have work to do."
*****
Leeta was in Senor Quark's Blue Parrot Cafe. It had not been closed early by Odo and had only recently seen it's last customer out the door. Quark was adding up his receipts while Leeta stood over him impatiently. "So? Do we have a deal?"
Quark sat back and grinned a toothy grin as he scratched behind his enormous ears. "The price is adequate, but this percentage thing..."
"Rom gets twenty-five percent of the profits. That's final."
"Seems to me that if he belonged to *you* before, he ought to belong to *me* now."
"He *belongs* to no one. We're partners. ^I don't buy or sell people."^
^"Too bad. That's Terok Nor's leading commodity."^
Her sale of the Cafe Bajorain complete, she returned to it one last time. There, she found it had been turned into a shambles by Odo's men. She righted an upended chair and sat down, idly tossing some broken pieces of glass, watching them shatter into even smaller pieces. Odo himself was lurking in the shadows and now stepped forward. "I figured you'd come back. ^I told Dukat that he wouldn't find the passports here, but I told my men to be especially destructive. You know how that impresses Cardassians."^
"You want to impress your Cardassian masters? How would you like to present them with Terok Nor's most wanted -- Kira Nerys herself?"
"Why would you want to help me with that?"
"In case you hadn't noticed, Jadzia and I have some... history. Things would just be so much easier with her ex out of the way."
Odo raised his eyebrows. "Oh, really? So, ^love, it seems, has triumphed over virtue."^
"Call it what you will. But the deal is, you get Kira, and Jadzia and I use the passports to get out of here. Meet us tomorrow morning at the launch bay. Oh," Leeta added sarcastically. "Be sure to leave our friend Dukat out of this, won't you?"
*****
The next morning, Leeta waited just outside the hangar. She was nervous, but no one could tell by looking at her. From a nearby passage, Jadzia and Kira emerged. Jadzia was distraught, the emotions of the past few days taking their toll. Kira, however, was ready to see the plan through. "Save your good-byes," advised Leeta. "There's been a change of plans."
"Indeed," said Odo, stepping once more from the shadows.
Leeta smiled. "I always forget how easy it is for a shape-shifter to hide."
"Such skills aid me immeasurably in my line of work. Now then," he said, pointing a phaser at the two refugees. "I'm afraid I must take you into custody."
^"Not so fast, Odo. Nobody's gonna be arrested -- not for a while yet."^ Leeta pulled her own phaser from her jacket, pointing it at the constable.
Odo broke into a sneering grin. ^"My dear Leeta, I always suspected that under that cynical shell, you were at heart a sentimentalist."^
"Be that as it may, you're going to escort us to the shuttle and help us get away. Now move. ^And remember, this phaser is set to kill and is pointed right at your heart."^
^"*That* is my least vulnerable spot."^
They entered the launch bay, where the daily shuttle was preparing to leave. Steam escaped from numerous vents and ducts, giving the entire chamber a misty atmosphere. Turning to Kira and Jadzia, Leeta motioned toward the spacecraft. "There's your ride. Better get going." Both of the women gave Leeta a confused look.
Jadzia stepped forward. ^"I don't understand. What about you?"^
^"I'm staying here, with him,"^ she indicated Odo, ^"until the ship gets safely away."^
^"No, Leeta. No. What has happened to you? Last night..."^
^"Last night, we said a great many things. You said I was to do the thinking for both of us. Well, I've done a lot of it since then, and it all adds up to one thing. You're getting on that ship with Kira, where you belong. You've got to listen to me. Do you have any idea what you have to look forward to if you stayed here? Nine chances out of ten we'd both wind up in a concentration camp. Isn't that true, Odo?"^
Odo answered honestly. ^"I'm afraid Gul Dukat would insist."^
Jadzia looked from Odo back to Leeta. ^"You're saying this only to make me go."^
^"I'm saying it because it's true. Inside of us, we both know you belong with Kira. You're part of her work, the thing that keeps her going. If that ship leaves the station and you're not with her, you'll regret it. Maybe not today, and maybe not tomorrow, but soon, and for the rest of your life."^
^"What about us?"^
^"We'll always have Bajor. We'd lost it until you came here. We got it back the other night."^
^"When I said I would never leave you-"^
^"And you never will. I've got a job to do too. Where I'm going, you can't follow. What I've got to do, you can't be any part of."^ Behind them, the shuttle's engines began to start up, filling the hangar with noise and sending strong thermal currents across the open space. Leeta's coat flapped in the breeze, and several locks of Jadzia's hair crossed her face. ^"Jadzia, I'm no good at being noble, but it doesn't take much to see that the problems of three little people don't amount to a hill of beans in this crazy galaxy. Someday you'll understand that."^ Jadzia dropped her head tearfully. Leeta touched her chin and raised it up -- a gesture they'd shared before. ^"Now, now. Here's looking at you, kid."^
Leeta reached into her pocket and withdrew the passports, handing them to Kira. Kira smiled and shook her hand. ^"Welcome back to the fight. This time, I know our side will win."^ With that, the couple wrapped their arms around each other and hurried onboard the ship.
Odo stepped up beside Leeta. ^"Well, I was right. You *are* a sentimentalist. I suppose you know this isn't going to be very pleasant for either of us -- especially for you. I'll have to arrest you, of course."^
Leeta patted the phaser in her pocket. ^"As soon as the ship goes, Odo."^
Suddenly, Gul Dukat came running into the hangar. "Dammit, Odo! Stop that ship!"
Leeta pulled the phaser from her pocket and whirled around, pointing it at the Cardassian. "Hold it, Dukat! ^I was willing to shoot Odo, and I'm willing to shoot you."^
Dukat looked at the phaser, then at Leeta. His eyes narrowed, and Leeta sensed he was about to try something. Dukat reached for his own holstered phaser, and Leeta fired. A bright orange flash struck the Gul. He cried out and crumpled to the deck.
Just then, four of Odo's constables hurried into the hangar. ^"Gul Dukat has been shot,"^ announced Odo. He looked at Leeta, then back to his men. ^"Round up the usual suspects."^ When his men had departed, he looked down at Dukat's body, then turned back to Leeta. ^"Well, Leeta, you're not only a sentimentalist, but you've become a patriot."^
^"Maybe, but it seemed like a good time to start."^
The two of them watched in silence as the shuttle launched and disappeared from sight, becoming lost among the many points of light that filled the void. As the two of them began exiting the hangar, walking through the remaining clouds of steam, Odo offered a suggestion. ^"It might be a good idea for you to disappear from Terok Nor for a while. There's a Free Bajor garrison over on Delgoria. I could be induced to arrange a passage."^
"What?" asked Leeta, gesturing about her, "and leave all this?"
"You wouldn't have to leave *everything* behind. Or everyone," added Odo, taking Leeta's hand tenderly in his own.
Leeta smiled, somewhat patronizingly. "Oh, Odo. I'm touched, really, but... your just not," she gestured again, this time up and down Odo's masculine physique, "my kinda gal."
"And what if I *could* be?" Calling forth his inherent abilities, Odo shimmered before her, and changed. The hard angles of his body softened and rearranged themselves. His breasts swelled and filled out the accommodating uniform. His hips widened, if only slightly. Even his stiff hair fell loosely and longly about his shoulders, until he -- she! -- stood before Leeta, entirely transformed.
Leeta stared unbelievingly. "Prophets!" she whispered.
"I once told someone -- quite unexpectedly, even to me -- I said, ^'Leeta is the kind of woman that, if I were a woman, I would be in love with.'^ Well, I've just come to realize that, no matter who I am or how I appear, I *am* in love with you."
Leeta put her arm around the changeling. ^"Odo, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship."^
(End)