NEW: 2/10 Images in a Broken Mirror: I. The Alternate Intendant (DS9(AU) - G/B, alt-G/B - R)
Kathryn Ramage
DS9(AU) - G/B, alt-G/B - R
Kathryn Ramage
November 1999
See the Introduction for summary, disclaimer, etc...
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As Kira entered what had been Quark's Place before the
Ferengi's execution earlier that day, she noted with
relief that neither Garak nor the Intendant had arrived
at the party yet. But Sisko was lounging sullenly at
the bar.
Although she had to be cautious for the sake of Bashir's
safety, she was still chafing at her helplessness. She
couldn't just let Garak assassinate the Intendant; there
had to be _something_ she could do to thwart his plans.
Now that Quark was dead, Sisko was her only possible
ally.
She didn't know quite what to make of this Sisko; she
saw nothing in him that was like her commander, but if
the Prophets had any influence in this universe, there
must be a spark of the Emissary somewhere inside this
man. She had to try and reach it.
As she crossed the room toward him, Sisko gave her a
tooth-baring smile. "Nice dress." His eyes ran slowly
down her in a way she found disturbing, not only because
he was the counterpart of her commander, but also in
light of his relationship with the Intendant. He had
tried to threaten her with the same aggressive tactics
when they'd first met, but her mission was too urgent
for her to be intimidated.
"We have to talk," she said and took the seat beside
him. "I need your help."
Sisko gulped his drink and did not look interested.
"It's about the Intendant. Her life is in danger."
"Garak?"
Kira was surprised. "How do you know?"
He giggled. "Garak's been planning to kill her and take
her place since the day he got here."
"Well, this time, he wants _me_ to take her place."
Another giggle. "That's more creative than he usually
gets."
"We have to put a stop to this," Kira persisted.
"What makes you think I _want_ to stop this?" Sisko
replied. He did not look at her as he spoke, but kept
his eyes warily on the Klingon and Bajoran officers
nearest them. "Even if Garak works up the nerve to get
rid of her, what difference would it make to me? One
Intendant's just the same as another."
"You'd have the same bargain with him?" she asked
pointedly.
He snorted. "I've heard some stories about Garak, but I
doubt I'm his type."
"And you think he'll let you go on playing pirate like
_she_ has, let you keep your ship and your crew?"
"Why not, if I don't get in his way?"
"So you're on his side?"
"I'm on nobody's side but my own," Sisko answered. He
dropped his gaze, and their conversation came to an end
when Garak entered the room.
"My dear." The Cardassian advanced toward them. "How
breath-taking you look. A perfect twin for our
Intendant, wouldn't you agree, Mr. Sisko?"
Sisko lifted his eyes, not to Garak, but to the doorway
behind Kira. He murmured, "Nice dress," again as the
crowd around them burst into applause; the Intendant, in
an identical purple party-gown, was making her entrance.
"Play something bright!" she announced with a smile.
"I'm in a happy mood!" The musicians began to play a
Bajoran festival melody, and she held out one hand
toward the trio at the bar. "Benjamin, dance with me."
It was not a request.
Sisko went to her. Garak took his seat and leaned
close to the Major's ear. "I know what you've been
trying to do," he hissed, "but you won't receive any
assistance from Mr. Sisko--he hates the Intendant as
much as I do."
"I know it," Kira answered under her breath, outraged,
humiliated, and terrified at having been caught. "But
your plan isn't going to work. It's too dangerous.
There are too many people around."
"It will work," he whispered back. "Be patient. She'll
ask you to dance next, and everything will happen just
as I've told you it will. I'll let you know when it's
time. By the way, I wouldn't recommend trying to warn
her. If she doesn't blame you for not going to her right
away, I'll swear that you've been my willing accomplice
from the beginning, that you agreed to work with me
because I offered to send you back to your own universe.
She'll believe that. She knows you've been looking for
a way to leave Terek Nor. I can almost guarantee that
you'll be executed by my side. And don't forget about
your Terran companion."
She shot a glaring glance in his direction. "I swear
that if you've done anything to him, Garak..."
"Not a thing!" the Cardassian insisted and, as one of
the human servants approached with a bottle of kanar
and two glasses on a tray, took it. "He's being well
cared for. My personal valet is seeing to his comfort."
He filled one glass and, tilting the bottle, offered
to fill the other for her. When Kira did not respond,
he went on: "A charming young man. I would hate to
have to harm him. Of course, whether or not I _will_
harm him is entirely up to you." He sipped his drink
and turned at the sound of the Intendant's laughter;
she pressed herself close against Sisko as the two
of them spun together. "All you have to do is follow
my instructions. I'll be watching to see that you do."
What followed was like a bad dream. When the music
ended, Sisko approached her and asked, "Your turn now?"
and the Intendant, with a smile like a hungry horocat,
pushed him aside and said, "No, she's mine first."
Kira's stomach lurched sickeningly as she was pulled
out onto the dance floor, just as Garak had said she
would be.
Her twin's arms went around her waist and her chin
jabbed into her shoulder. She was held firmly against
the plush material of the Intendant's gown as they
swayed together, she awkwardly and little behind the
beat of the tambor-bells. Garak sat watching them from
the bar, filling glass after glass of kanar--Kira hoped,
the way he was drinking, that Sisko was right after all
and he didn't have the nerve to go through with this.
When the Intendant released her, the First Officer
poured her a drink; she swallowed it down in one gulp,
then nearly lost it again when the liquor hit her
already churning stomach.
"She didn't-" she tried to tell him.
"She will," Garak answered. "Wait."
The Intendant went among her guests like a queen on her
progress, extending her hand to the bowing supplicants,
granting favors and rewards. She was generous tonight--
unusually so, Kira gathered from the surprised responses
of the guests. She was bright, laughing, and cheerful,
and she wanted everyone to share in her happiness.
*She is in love,* the Major thought. *I'm her mirror.
Another self. I've attracted her in way no one else
could--and I can betray her as no one else can.*
It was nothing she hadn't done before, she told herself.
Lure oppressors to their deaths. She must have killed
a dozen Cardassians using a similar trick--and, in this
universe, Kira Nerys was no better than any Cardassian
Gul. Butcher. Sadistic overlord. As much a monster
as Dukat. This woman deserved to die.
But that didn't quell the nauseous feeling inside her.
The music changed, becoming slow and sensual. Another
dance. When the Intendant pulled her close this time,
she whispered in her ear, "Let's get out of here, find
someplace a little more private."
Just as Garak had said. Over her counterpart's shoulder,
Kira could see the First Officer across the room. Their
eyes met; he nodded. It was time.
Without waiting for an answer, the Intendant yanked her
out onto the Promenade.
"Nerys, listen-" she said as soon as they were out of
Garak's sight. "It's important."
They went into what was the assay office on DS9--here,
a tea and spices shop. Just inside the door, the
Intendant turned and took her by the wrist; Kira shook
the light grip off.
"Nerys-"
A fiercer grip clamped down on her upper arm.
"Enough teasing," the other hissed. "Don't you think
_I_ know?" The hold on her arm relaxed, and the
Intendant's voice became a beguiling purr. "You're just
like me. Exactly like me. We are the same, Nerys!"
Fingers crept lightly up to her shoulder. "The same
thoughts. The same..." She played with the shoulder
straps. "Needs. I _know_ you. Things no one else
could ever know. And you know me."
There was a wild hunger in those eyes. Not for sex--
Kira realized that now. The need was deeper than that.
Somewhere in her, even wrapped in her ego and power-mad
delusions, this woman knew how she was despised. At the
center of it all, she was desperately lonely and she
sought an emotional connection that no sycophantic
relationship could replace. Kira understood that that
was what made _her_ so attractive to her counterpart:
If another self couldn't love her, who else would?
Kira almost felt sorry for her.
The Intendant slipped her fingers beneath one strap to
draw her close for a kiss. Kira braced herself for a
weird experience, when the door hissed open and Garak
came in.
The Intendant whirled on him. "What do _you_ want?"
He didn't answer, merely pulled out a small dagger
concealed beneath his uniform breastplate, and stabbed
her. She made a small, choked sound of surprised and
twisted away from the blade. She took one step back
toward Kira, eyes on her reproachfully.
"I trusted you..." and she fell at the Major's feet.
It was nothing she hadn't done before. Sometimes, she
had even been the one to slip the blade in. But to see
her twin--herself, as she might have been--dead on the
floor was stunning. Kira felt as if she were a kid
again, participating in her first killing. For a long
moment, she stood frozen, staring down at the body and
the dark pool of blood that slowly spread out from
beneath it.
"It's done," said Garak, more to himself than to her.
"We can't turn back." He picked up the glittering head-
band that had fallen away from the body, and handed it
to her. "Intendant, I suggest you return to the party
before your absence is noticed."
Kira placed the headband on her own head. "What about
_her_?" she asked.
"I'll take care of it." Now that the act was irrevocable,
he became more confident. "In just a few minutes, there
will be no sign of what happened here except for a stain
on the carpet. There are plenty of those around the
station. One more won't matter." He tossed the dagger
on top of the body. "Go."
/~*~/
She returned to the party. Sisko had retreated to a
table in a corner with his crew, but when he saw her,
he rose and came forward.
"Where did your friend go?" he asked.
Garak had followed behind her; Kira wondered how he had
gotten rid of the Intendant's body so quickly. As he
took his seat at the bar and waved for another bottle
of kanar, his eyes remained intently on her. Like it
or not, there was no turning back now. She had assumed
this role, and had to see it through.
She imitated the Intendant's swagger. "I sent her away.
She was beginning to bore me."
Sisko nodded.
"But let's not talk about _her_. It's a party!" She
pulled him onto the dance floor. "We should be having
fun!"
/~*~/
If the first half of the evening had been nightmarish,
the rest was like a fever-dream. She moved in a haze,
as if she were not acting of her own volition--as if
the recently departed Intendant had possessed her. The
words that came out of her mouth, the movements of her
body, even her smile--it was all her twin's. It seemed
incredible to her that no one questioned her. Could none
of them see the difference? And what would happen to
her if they did?
When a squabble broke out between the Klingons and one
of Sisko's crew, it was too much. Her overwrought
nerves finally snapped. She spun on them, shouting.
For once, it was _her_, no imitation of the Intendant,
but it had the same effect. The Klingons cowered.
The room fell into a terrified silence. Garak beamed
approvingly.
At last, the party was over. Garak escorted her to the
Intendant's quarters.
"You were very good tonight, my dear. It was a most
impressive performance. Continue, and in 52 hours, you
will announce your retreat and be free to go."
Kira let out a burst of breath. "I don't think I can
hold up that long."
The First Officer smiled unpleasantly. "You will have
to." They arrived at her door. "Good night, Intendant.
Sleep well."
to be cont'd...
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Kathryn Ramage kramage@e*r*o*l*s.com
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Run mad as often as you chuse; but do not faint...
Jane Austen, "Love and Freindship" (Her spelling)
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