With apologies to anyone who saw "Titanic", and liked it. I saw half, and hated it. I *really* hated it. (yes, I'm a heretic. I know)<g>

Title: The Colossal
Rating: PG-13, of course
Code: K, Du, O, humor
Author: Monica Tully

Synopsis: The U.S.S. Colossal, carrying passengers across the sector, is hit by a comet and destroyed. But before that happens, the despairing Kira Nirys, engaged to the dastardly Odo, is shown a new way of looking at things by a down on his luck Cardassian.

++++++++++++++++++

The salvage crew pieced through the wreckage of the long lost U.S.S. Colossal. Painstakingly, they examined hull fragments, debris, precious large pieces of craft. They were looking for treasure, of course, but in this early 25th century world, they didn't seek monetary rewards. Humans were beyond that. They sought knowledge.

Most of those who had survived of the crash of this then state of the art vessel were dead now, claimed not by the cold of space but by age. So much knowledge of the tragedy lost forever.

"Sir." A young man approached the team leader. "Sir, we've been contacted by a survivor."

"A living survivor? from the Colossal?"

"Yes sir. Coming here... to talk with us."

--------

The wizened old figure came into the team leader's office, fixed a bright eye on the staff, and began to tell the story of a few passengers on that fated vessel.

---------

Kira ran down the corridor, sobbing wildly. She was not prone to such expression of emotion. She could get angry, and even had a mean right cross... but dissolving into tears
and galloping hysterically down a ship's corridor was quite out of character. Or it had been. Everyone has their breaking point, and Kira had met hers.

The love affair with Odo had seemed right. Or so Kira told herself. True, Odo had betrayed her before... whenever he had contact with his native race, he developed a condescending attitude towards "solids", and seemed to lose sight of the needs of others. But she thought he had changed. How foolish.

They had agreed to marry-- not only for their own love, but to save the Alpha and Gamma quadrants, so long wracked by war. A union between the changelings and solids could bring peace.

But peace at any price is not peace. Kira felt she was suffocating and she could do nothing about it. Duty. Even as Odo's negative side reasserted itself, with his condescending attitude towards solids reemerging, she hung onto the union between them, out of duty. Duty to Bajor. Duty to the Alpha Quadrant. Duty to Captain Sisko.

He was getting on her nerves as well. She shared her feelings of doubt with him, and he blew up in her face. "Major! You have a duty to us! This is about more than your personal happiness! I haven't been happy in years, ever since I got that damn Emissary job! But I did my duty for Bajor, and now, dammit, you'll do your duty for the Alpha Quadrant! Life's a bitch, major. Get used to it!"

"Captain, I've never known you to use profanity," gasped Kira.

"I'm just throwing in some gratuitous bad language to get us our PG-13 rating,
" he said smugly. He leaned towards her, leering. "Just wait until you see how *you* contribute to that effort."

Unsure of what the captain was babbling about, she returned to her quarters, which seemed to be empty. She entered and regarded the ancient earth artwork she'd recently
picked up on Tribblus. As she stroked the canvas, it morphed into a familiar gold goo. Oh good grief, not again.

Odo looked smug. "You thought I was a Monet, eh?" Damn him, she thought. "Of course, you are only a solid. I really *was* a Monet. To be a thing..."

"yes, yes, is to know a thing..." she muttered

He chuckled and tickled her under her chin. She considered slugging him, but he'd just dissolve again.

"In fact," he went on, "I was more Monet than Monet." He smiled, pleased with himself.
"Don't forget, dear. I have a get together with some of the other founders scheduled tonight."

How could she forget. They'd all meet in a bucket somewhere, or maybe a large tub. To talk about things "far above" her. And she was going to have to go back to their home planet... and live among those damp denizens of doom? Duty or no duty, she could not stand it.

"I know," she said tightly.

It would be so easy to turn to him now, and say "no. Enough. Go away. Go back to your puddle people and leave me alone." But if she did... the treaty would fail. There would be war again... but she could not take a lifetime mired in the world of these arrogant fluids. She stood, frozen, a moment after he left. Then something broke inside her. All she knew was she had to get out. Had to escape. To run... to... there was only one solution...

and so Kira found herself running, crying wildly, heading for the airlock. She would fling herself into the cold of open space. And die. Let the Alpha Quadrant fend for itself.

-----

He was sitting against the wall in the corridor... an uninvited guest, but he'd won passage on the ship by beating an imaginary friend in a game of tongo. Good thing that pretend Weyoun had an extra ticket. Too bad it was in 3rd class.

He leafed through the sketchbook, admiring the forms within, when his attention was drawn to a screaming, sobbing figure barreling down the corridor oblivious to everyone. They, apparently, were also oblivious to her. He wondered about this ship.

What was she doing? Poised at the airlock. Uh-oh. He knew that expression. She was going to fling herself out into space. He studied her awhile, wondering if that was a good thing or a bad thing. Ever since he first met Kira, he'd been torn between strong romantic feelings towards her, and the desire to toss her out an airlock himself.

She was part of the reason he was in 3rd class, stripped of rank, a man without a country, a man not wanted by anyone-- not even the federation anymore, not since the treaty.

The Airlock seemed a good option. He returned his gaze to the sketchbook. He'd traded his shuttle for it. The shuttle no longer flew, anyway, but the radio worked and he'd been able to get a few credits and this sketchbook for it.

A gasp turned his attention again to Kira. She was blinking... hand poised over the airlock controls. Damn, he thought. I'm awfully close. If she blows that thing open, I could get sucked out too.

"Major," he said.

She started at the familiar voice. "Dukat!" she spat, spinning round. "Don't come closer! I'll blow the hatch!"

"No you won't."

"I will."

"Major," he said, drawing out the first vowel. "If you go out, I'll have to go out after you."

"Don't be absurd, Dukat" said Kira. "Why would you do that?"

"I'd love to have you die in my arms," he said dreamily. "entwined to the last..."

A look of revulsion spread across Kiras face. "Oh, don't be sick." Her eyes fell on the book in his hand. "What's that?"

"This?" he held out the sketchbook and shrugged. "You'll have to come and see."

"No! I'm not playing your games anymore! I'm going to go out!"

"Well, all right, but let me move out of the way first," he said, shutting the sketchbook with a sigh. Like lightening, he struck, tackling Kira and pulling her away from the airlock. They tumbled to the floor.

Kira peered up at the bright blue eyes over her.

":Surely, Major, your situation is not as bad as all that. No need to fling yourself into space."

Kira groaned. Damn, he was heavy. And look... she'd broken a heel. Her despair turned to anger. She was awfully fond of those heels.

"You're right, Dukat. This puts things into perspective. My life could be *a lot* worse"

As she reached up to push him off her, she heard a gasp.

"Major Kira!" came the shocked voice of Captain Sisko.
__________

It took her a moment to decide whether or not to let them arrest him (again). But... he had tried to save her. Again. She hated it when he did that. This was her chance to get even. Besides, she didn't want him telling them she'd gone suicidal.

"Captain, it's not as it looks..."

"Oh?" Sisko arched an eyebrow.

"Of course not, Captain," came Dukat's smooth voice. "I have always had the utmost
*respect* for Major Kira. I would never desire to harm her in any way. It was just..."

"I broke a heel." said Kira suddenly.

"Pardon me?" said Sisko.

"Yes," Dukat said. "the major began to totter, then fall, and I attempted to
..."

"Well, he tried to prevent me from.."

"going overboard," Dukat finished. "Unfortunately, her momentum was such that I was unsuccessful."

Sisko eyed his old adversary coldly and suspiciously. He looked at Kira. "Very well, let him go." he said.

As security released Dukat, Kira turned to Sisko. "Surely we must do something to thank him," she said. Sisko turned to her with an incredulous expression.

"Dukat," Kira said, "Some of us are having a formal dinner tonight. Would you like to join us?"

Sisko looked as if a stroke were imminent.

"Major," purred Dukat. "I'd be honored."

=+++++

The dinner was a disaster, but Kira had expected that. Fluid Founders clustered together in
a concentration of superior attitude. Even her old star fleet friends seemed Stuffy and Arrogant. Had they always been so? Their holier than thou attitudes were beginning to get under her skin. None of *them* had to marry a founder... but they expected her to. Yuk. She shuddered.

Dukat seemed a breath of fresh air with his mocking irreverence. She was glad to see he'd brought the sketchbook. He sat alone at a table, a glass of spring wine in his hand, leafing through the pages. "Dukat," she said.

"Hmmm?" his eyes stayed on the sketches.

"I'm sorry for how everyone is treating you. Those jokes about your uniform were really uncalled for." He grunted, and turned the sketchbook sideways. He was obviously analyzing his artwork with a critical eye.
"Though I admit,'' she added. "... you have been wearing the same one an awfully --" She gasped.
"Dukat! those sketches are wonderful!"

Now he did look up at her, surprised.

She took the book from his hands. It was cute, she thought, that he'd tried to pull it back when she grabbed it. She would have never thought him to have a sense of modesty about his work. Page upon page was filled with nudes, sketches of a variety of women of different alien races in a variety of poses. "I just had no idea you had an artistic bent."

"Ah...well... Major. We all have our surprises."

Kira leafed through the pictures, shaking her head in awe. "You are quite the Artist, Dukat. Where did you learn to draw like this?"

Draw? Ah, he began to see where she was coming from. He couldn't draw a stick figure, but she didn't have to know that. He'd picked up the sketchbook because it had pictures of naked women in it. But her misconception could be useful.

"Perhaps," she said a little shyly. "you could draw me, as well."

This definitely could be useful. He had to learn to draw. Fast.

"Kira," came the gravelly voice of Odo. He took her hand possessively and turned to Dukat. "Gul Dukat," he said, using Dukat's old title out of habit. "I'm grateful for your attempt at preventing my Kira from a nasty fall, even if you were, as usual, unsuccessful."

"You're most welcome" said Dukat. "I have always looked out for Major Kira's best interests."

Odo was momentarily distracted by a look from the female changeling on the other side of the room, and has he gave her a little wave, Dukat took Kira's free hand and kissed it in a courtly fashion.

"I'm afraid it has been a long day for me," he said to Kira. "I will take my leave of you now." With a nod to Odo, who still had his attention directed across the room, and to Kira, he left.

Kira lowered her hand, feeling not only the tingle from Dukat's lips, but the little slip of sketch paper he'd slipped into her grasp as he'd kissed her.

"Odo," she said. "I'm tired as well. I think I'll go back to our quarters."

"Whatever you say, dear," said Odo, slipping from her side and crossing the room.

Kira walked out into the hall, and unfolded the paper. In Cardassian, it said
"Meet me at the Clock Painting."

_____________

There it was. At the top of the turbolift shaft-- the original Salvadore Dali painting. Kira had to admit all those melting clocks looked quite odd to her, but she had heard Dukat's mental faculties had not been up to par recently. Perhaps it appealed to him in his artistic madness.

An artistic madman....The thought of that caused her heart to beat a bit faster. She was surprised to find such feelings within herself, but she was so tired of Starfleet regulations
and dominion order. The turbolift doors opened, and she saw Dukat, regarding the painting. It still made her shudder. She supposed those clocks reminded her a bit of Odo.

"Ah, Major," he said, smiling. "Would you like to go to a more interesting party than that stuffy one we've just endured?"

---------

Kira tossed off another glass of Kanar, as a Klingon came sliding across the table in front of her. The fist fight between those four drunken Klingons... oh, now it was
*three* drunken Klingons, was getting a bit close. She picked up her glass, grabbed Dukat's hand, and led him back against the wall of the cargo bay, avoiding the passed out Bolian and the puddle of vomit nearby.

"WHAT?" she shouted at Dukat, unable to hear over the loud music.
"I said excuse me... I have to take a leak," said Dukat, managing to make even the slang sound dignified.
"DON'T SAY LEAK!" snapped Kira. "It reminds me of Odo!"

Dukat grabbed her hand and led her out of the room. The sound of music was muffled behind the cargo bay walls. "Major," he said. "You seem unhappy regarding your upcoming nuptials."

"Oh, Dukat," she said, falling into his arms and bawling. "I can't stand it! Odo is a superior selfish pig who cares much more for his blasted liquid link than for me. And Sisko's another superior pig, but he's so high and mightily self righteous on top of it... and the whole federation is full of folks just like him!"

"I've been saying that for years," said Dukat, setting an empty Kanar bottle down next to the wall and scanning the corridor for a door with a little man figure on the outside.

"I can't stand it! I feel like I'm being choked to death!" snapped Kira. "And you used to be just as stuffy as the rest of them."

"There's no need to be insulting, Kira" said Dukat in a hurt tone.

"No, you were. You always had this wild side, but you masked it in formality. You have changed so much," she said, looking at him with wonder.

"Losing your country, your family, and your mind can make you realize what's really important," said Dukat. "I'm no longer interested in conquest or universal domination--"

"Hey, Dukat," said Kira, "Are you drunk or just tired? Your eyes look red."

He ignored her comment. "In fact..." he went on, "I wonder... Do you know what time it is?"

Kira shook her head. They'd left the formal dinner at 2100, and been below since. She had a feeling they'd been there awhile.

Loud music blasted as Dukat opened the door to the cargo bay again. He kicked the Bolian and said "Hey, what time is it?" The drunken alien lifted his head, glanced at his wrist chronometer, said "0200," and plopped back down again.

"Come with me, Major..."

"where are we going?"

"To the bridge... after a brief stop at waste extraction" said Dukat.

------

The Bridge was a cavernous circle of lights, stations, and upholstered work chairs. Kira noticed most were the fun kind, that spun around. The place was bright, very light, but filling one wall was a massive floor to ceiling Viewscreen. Black space and dots of stars whooshing by.

No one was there.

"Where's the crew?" asked Kira.

"This ship is state of the art. From 2300 to 0500 it's manned only by one lieutenant... we just passed him in the hall."

"That fellow in the red shirt, going into waste extraction?"

Dukat nodded. "The one with the magazine. He always takes his break at 0215. I knew we could come up and experience this uninterrupted."

Kira looked at him, puzzled. "Are you going to take over the ship?" she asked.

"Don't be silly. There's so many safeties on this thing no one can take it over. Besides, I told you I was no longer interested in that sort of activity."

"You told me that. I didn't believe you."

"I'll show you," he said, flashing a bright and uncharacteristically wide smile. "But first... computer. Dim lights."

The bridge took on the hue of dusk.

"A bit more..."

Twilight. The little dots of light on the Viewscreen grew brighter.

"Here, Major... look at them..."

"The stars?"

"Yes... there was a time I wanted to conquer each one of them... but now..." He took her hand. "Up here," he said, guiding her into the captain's chair. "stand here."

"*ON* the chair?" she asked incredulously, though she let herself be guided. Dukat steadied her, arms about her waist, as she stood on the chair.

"Just look at them... let them wash over you... feel them pass by... Don't worry about the future, or your duty... just experience the moment..."

Kira stood, eyes wide, taking in the streaks of light.

"I... I... feel like I'm flying!" she cried, holding her arms out at her side.

"Kanar can do that to you," said Dukat.

"No, it's not that..." She closed her eyes, and imagined the stars touching her, caressing her... dang, her imagination was good. She could really feel those caresses.

She opened her eyes again. Dukat dropped his hands to her waist level, and continued to steady her. He looked up at her innocently.

"The view is... breathtaking!"

"It is indeed," he said, still looking up.

"I've never looked at the stars this way before, as often as I've seen them." She looked down at him suddenly, a wicked light glowing in her eyes. "Here, help me down," she said.

As he lifted her off the captain's chair, she asked, "Do you have your sketchbook with you?"

"No, I left it down in third class."

She grabbed his hand and led him off the bridge. "We have to find it. I want you to sketch me, just like you sketched the other women in your book."

"Why major... I would be delighted."

The two left the bridge, unaware they were the last two people who would ever see the view from the Colossal's viewscreen....

++++++++

Dukat peered suspiciously around the room as they entered. "Are you sure Odo isn't here somewhere?"

Kira snorted. "No. He's somewhere in the link tonight."

Dukat peered into the bathroom. The tub was empty.

"Dukat."

Dukat let the shower curtain drop back into place, glanced suspiciously in the toilet, and turned to see Kira, standing naked before him. She strolled into the other room, and cast herself on the couch.

"Draw me."

After a moment, she said "Don't just stand there grinning... *draw me*."

Dukat fumbled for the sketchbook, and sat down across from Kira. He wondered how long he could stretch this out.

"Dukat..." she said. "I do believe you're blushing!"

"I'm definitely not blushing, Major" said Dukat. "I think you're not quite in the right pose."

She was struck at the personal attention he gave to rearranging her... over and over, until he had her in exactly the right post. How dedicated he was to his art, she thought.

"Now draw me. Wait... don't you have a pencil?"

"Ah... I must have dropped it in the corridor."

"No matter. There's one on the table over there."

Dukat sat down again with the pencil, wondering how he could ever get out of this one in tact. He drew a circle. Dots for eyes. A semi circle smile. He had a sudden urge to color it yellow and write "have a nice day" on the bottom, but it passed. A few more lines. A few more circles. He erased. He drew. He crumpled up the paper and was about to suggest he pose her again, but he saw the impatience creeping onto her face.

"Let me see what you did," she rose, and drew a robe about her.

Darn, he thought.

She uncrumpled the paper and gasped. "oh Dukat..." A tear came to her eye.
"You noticed how much I like Picasso." She carefully folded the paper, and leaned towards Dukat.
"You have a side I never noticed before" she whispered drawing close to him.

"You have quite a few sides I never had the pleasure of noticing before... at least as closely as I noticed them tonight," he said. "In fact--" He was silenced by her kiss. He would have enjoyed the kiss a lot more if he hadn't kept worrying that the couch was about to turn golden and melt into Odo. But it did not. Perhaps they *were* truly alone...

Then again...

"I admit, Major, to being a bit concerned about Odo's return..." he said, breaking suction.

"Oh, Odo," said Kira sourly. "I'm not concerned about *him*"

"Well... I am," said Dukat, thinking about how difficult it would be to defend against a founder in a fist fight.

Kira's eyes filled with tears again. "You are just so sensitive," she said, her voice cracking.
"Even worried about Odo's feelings! Not that he has any." Her eyes grew bright. "I have an idea. No one is in the shuttle bay at this hour..." She drew on her regular skintight catsuit bajoran militia uniform (the same one all bajoran militia personnel wear, of course), and led him out the door.

"Here--" Kira took his hand, look cautiously both ways, and took him to the only shuttle in the bay. "It's odd that this ship has only one shuttle here."

"They have fewer shuttles than most ships this size," said Dukat. "With all this ship can do, there wasn't much need seen for shuttles. But... this is odd..." He walked around the outside of the shuttle.."this looks like the one I borrowed from the Honshu"

"I don't care if it is or not..." Kira yanked him into the shuttle, tossed him on the floor, and flung herself on top of him. He returned her passionate embrace, and moved his mouth up her neck to her ear, when he suddenly noticed the windows looked foggy. Foggy? Not foggy... gooey....

"Oh SHIT!" he said, his mouth full of her ear.

"What's wrong?" she asked, pulling away. "And what is "shit"?"

"It's an earth word I picked up from Sisko when we were stranded together." said Dukat somewhat incoherently. "He said it was something I'm full of. While I dispute that, I would agree it's something we are in. Deeply."

"Oh. Is it an earth word for love?" said Kira, her eyes dreamy.

"No, Nerys," The familiar voice was gravely but the shuttle walls around them turned to smooth gold goo...

"Odo!" gasped Kira, as the shuttle disappeared. Kira and Dukat were laying on the floor of an empty shuttle bay as Odo formed into the sandpapered faced figure they recognized. He glared at Kira, and yanked her off of Dukat.

A security team ran into the shuttle bay, and pulled Dukat up.

"Arrest this man!" ordered Odo.

"Why?!" asked Kira, in anger.

Odo reached into Dukat's mouth and yanked out Kira's earring. "Theft, my dear. I am just looking out for your welfare." His grip on her arm tightened.

"That's ridiculous." said Kira.. "I--"

"And of this--" Odo picked up the sketchbook, still lying on the floor. This was taken from a Bajoran archeological site! Though..." Odo flipped through the pages. "It didn't have this many sketches in it at the time.... not bad..."

"Don't be absurd," said Dukat. "that's a recently made sketchbook... I traded my shuttle for it."

"A *stolen* shuttle..." said Odo. "And if this is so recent, how do you explain THIS?" He flipped the sketchbook open to inner back cover, revealing ancient bajoran writing.

"I assure you, there was no ancient Bajoran writing on that when I got it..." said Dukat.

"Well, we may not have heard of the ancient writing before today, but it's now part of the plot! As is your punishment," said Odo with a cold, foreign look in his eye.

Dukat lunged for the sketchbook. The guards tried to pin his arms down. One smacked him with the butt of a phaser rifle, but he grabbed a corner of the pad. Odo pulled the other way....

"No!" cried Kira, pulling Dukat off the pad. "Don't rip it open!" The guards threw Dukat down on the ground. He glared up at Kira, annoyed.

"Well, You look so awful when you're possessed." She turned to Odo. "Odo. Let me see that."

Odo eyed her suspiciously, but handed her the book. She studied the text. "The Orb of the Comet," she read. "That's odd. I never heard of such an orb. But," said continued, her voice full of awe, "I bet it would be the first orb shaped orb we've ever seen."

"Enough of this... take him to the brig," ordered Odo. "We will be by to question him later. " At the word "we", Kira shuddered. She was sure she was not one of the "we". The guards bound Dukat's hands tightly.

"I'll get you out of this, Dukat," she said as they marched up the corridor.
"We--"

The impact rocked the ship, and nameless security personnel were thrown about in the corridor. The warning panels shrieked RED ALERT! Consoles exploded! Conduits steamed!

"What's going on?" said Odo.

"Nothing all that unusual," said Kira.

As they tried to steady themselves, they saw voles and chunks of ice scattering in the corridor.
"Ice?" said Kira.
"Ice?" said Odo.
"Comets are largely ice," commented Dukat.

"The Orb of the Comet!" cried Kira.

"Don't be silly," said Odo. "This ship would not be hit by a comet! It's designed to avoid such obstacles. Only one bridge officer is needed to man the entire ship!"

Kira and Dukat exchanged glances. "That was an awfully thick magazine he took to waste extraction" Dukat said.

The Computer's voice filled the corridor, speaking calmly over the red alert shrieks:
"Abandon Ship. All personnel. Abandon Ship. Have a nice day."

Odo turned quickly to Kira, "See that you get to an escape pod, dear," he said hurriedly, giving her a oozy peck on the cheek and turning to run down the corridor.

"Now where is he off to?" asked Dukat.

"Off to see to his liquid love, I suppose," said Kira. "But that's of no concern to me. We have to get to an escape pod."

"I'd find that much easier with my hands unbound," said Dukat.

Kira grabbed a phaser from the body of an unfortunate ensign who didn't make it through his crash into the corridor wall. "Hold out your hands and stand still," she ordered.

"Major, are you sure--" began Dukat, his eyes widening as a line of phaser fire came towards him.

"You know I'm a good shot," Kira said as the energy beam disintegrated the metal between the handcuffs. "Come on." She grabbed his newly freed hand and ran up the corridor, toward the escape pods.

"Warning," came the sedate computer voice. "Hull breach imminent on Deck 7, section A"

Kira and Dukat raised their eyes to the sign above them. "Welcome to Deck 7, Section A. Enjoy your Stay"

"This way," said Dukat, yanking Kira into a Jeffries tube. "Up the ladder."

"Hull breach in ten seconds. Nine. Eight..." they heard the computer call more and more faintly. The ship shuddered as Deck 7, section A and all it's inhabitants met the icy cold of
space.

"I sure hope the automatic forcefields are going up. Where are we now?'' muttered Kira to herself as they removed the Jeffries tube panel revealing a corridor full of fleeing people, more voles, and more chunks of ice...

"This looks like Deck 8, section B" said Dukat.

"Warning," said the computer. "Hull breach imminent on Deck 8, section B"

"The whole ship is breaking up!" cried Kira.

"This way," said Dukat, popping back into the Jeffries tube.

25 Hull breaches later, they finally found themselves on Deck 26, section Y-- the last area with remaining escape pods. Pod. One left. And as they rounded the corner they saw Odo morph into a woman and child, and take the last seat on the last pod.

"Odo!" shrieked Kira in anger, as the pod doors closed and the pod ejected into space.

They were alone on Deck 26, section Y. No more people. No more voles. No more escape pods. No sound-- except the cheerful computer voice. "Hull breach imminent on Deck 26, section Y, it chirped.

"We're not giving up yet, Major" said Dukat, determination in his eye. He looked about the bay. "Here we go," he said, popping open a cabinet. Two environmental space suits lay within. "We may end up floating in space, but we'll be alive."

They suited up.

"Hull breach in thirty seconds. Twenty nine..."

"What's wrong, Dukat" asked Kira, noticing the Cardassians ashen face.

"The oxygen supply on this suit seems to be defective." They looked at the empty cabinet. No more suits.

"Twenty one... Twenty...."

"We'll share a supply" said Kira. They linked the suits together. Then they linked arms.

"Hold on major--"

"Ten seconds. Nine. Eight."

They braced for the final hull breach.

They expected pain, sheer terror, but it was almost graceful, how the deck came apart and they floated out into space.

"We're alive!" she gasped. She heard Dukat's voice, calm, answering through the comm link between the suits.

"We are indeed major. We'll survive this yet."

They turned slowly, gracefully, and looked around. Chunks of ship floated about them. The main body of the ship spun off in the distance, before being consumed in a fireball as the engines went offline one final time.

"Dukat, do you think anyone got a distress call out?"

"I'm sure they did, Major. Someone will be coming to look for survivors. All we have to do is wait. I must say-- " he went on. "I bet no one has survived a wrecked ship this way before."

"At least not in the Alpha Quadrant," said Kira.

They waited, arms still linked. Although they were warm in the suits, they clung together as if the cold of space penetrated. Kira looked into Dukat's eyes, and wondered why she had ever hated this man. Sure, he oppressed and massacred her people, betrayed her friends to the dominion, bashed captain Sisko into a pulp, got possessed by a pagh wraith and fried her best friend... but all that seemed unimportant now. Especially as she looked into those eyes, and felt the strength from those arms.

She realized he had been talking. And talking. For some time. His melodious voice carried words of encouragement..... she checked the oxygen meter. Only an hour left.

"Do you think we'll make it?" she said. "There's no sign of rescue ships yet."

"Oh, we'll make it," said Dukat, placing his gloved hand on the faceplate of her helmet.
"You can't die like this. You will live on. Live to grow old. Become gray haired, bent, and as wrinkled as that nose of yours." He stopped, and examined Kira's face critically.

"You say the sweetest things," said Kira, her voice full of emotion. "But we only have an hour of oxygen left. This tank was designed to hold out longer... but since we are sharing the supply..."

She looked up and noticed the gleam in his eye. "No!" she cried. "You can't do that!"

"Do what, Major?"

"I can tell what you are thinking. You are going to cut yourself off to leave more oxygen for me. Dukat-- don't do it!"

He studied her beautiful face-- a face that had enchanted him so many times.
"Major-- I have to do what I have to do. But let this last time we look at each other be special. I'm
glad we did not end as enemies."

"Dukat!" cried Kira. "Don't do this! I can't bear to live without you!"

___________-

"I could never refuse her," The old, scaly form before the salvage crew finished the tale.
"I yanked the oxygen line out of her suit and gave her a little kick. I had calculated the nearest rescue ship still had about 90 minutes of travel time left, and I needed the air. Besides, the thought of Kira all old and wrinkled. No. It was better this way," he concluded .

"She did look so surprised as she spun out into space, that little trail of oxygen pouring out of her helmet." He sniffled. "She was important to me." He reached a gnarled hand into his pocket and drew out a little piece of oxygen hose from an ancient space suit. "I kept this all these years to remember her by. I tend to be sentimental.

But," he went on with cheerful Cardassian practicality. "I am also a survivor."