The Mist (10 page)

"Would it be fair to say that you were staring at me as if I were a crazy man when I finished?" Sisko asked.

"More than fair," Sotugh said. "I thought you were insane for saying these things, and I thought I was insane for believing you. Higginbotham, however, seemed to believe everything you said, no questions asked."

"Paul and I have served on some interesting missions together," Sisko said. "He knew that I would not lie to him or exaggerate anything, no matter how improbable."

"If those colonists have the station up and working," Higginbotham said, after I had finished, "it's going to take a lot more than two starships and three Klingon warbirds to stop them."

I nodded. I knew that. I also knew that our time was limited. The longer we delayed, the more critical the situation got in both phases of space.

"My people on the station only had thirty seconds' warning before the attack," I said. "I have no idea how much time they bought us, but I do know they managed to cause some damage."

"If I had not seen your ship vanish and reappear so easily," Sotugh said, "and did not have the evidence of the space station disappearing, I would never believe such a wild story."

"Neither would I, Captain," I said. "But I have been to this phase of space twice now, and I need to go back. The threat is very real."

"I understand that," Sotugh said. "These 'Mist' may attack Klingon ships or the Klingon homeworld. So we must act swiftly. We must not allow this technology to be used in such a dishonorable manner."

I knew that he was speaking not only to me, but to his crew and the other two Klingon warbirds.

Sotugh grinned. "Perhaps you should not tell stories," he said. "You are usually such a quiet man and we Klingons think that much misses you. But it is becoming apparent that nothing does."

Sisko raised his eyebrows. "Thank you," he said. "I think."

Sotugh took his seat again quickly, almost crushing the gecko, who barely snuck out from under him in time.

"I will be at your location in less than ten minutes," Higginbotham said. "The Idaho is thirty minutes away. Six other Starfleet ships are within an hour. I will notify them of the situation. But I have to warn you, Ben. I'm afraid the situation is going to get worse before it gets better."

"Cardassians?" I asked.

"I'm afraid so," Higginbotham said. "They have a fleet coming across the border, heading for the former location of Deep Space Nine."

"The Empire is also sending ships," Sotugh said.

"Wonderful," I said. "Let's just hope in thirty minutes they won't be needed."

Captain Higginbotham and Captain Sotugh said nothing.

"Stand by, Captain Sotugh," I said. "Captain Higginbotham, rendezvous with us halfway between this point and the former location of Deep Space Nine."

"Will do, Ben," Higginbotham said, and cut the connection.

"We stand ready to fight," Sotugh said.

"Thank you, Captain," I said, and signaled for Nog to cut the channel.

"Okay, people," I said, glancing around at my bridge crew. "Let's go get our home back. Dax, move us into position so that Captain Victor will know that we are ready."

"Yes, sir," Dax said.

A moment later a white line of mist opened in space and a thin cloud swept over first the Defiant, then the Daqchov and the other two nearby Klingon warbirds.

Ten

"SO, SOTUGH," PRRGHH said, leaning closer to Sisko and placing a tiny hand on his shoulder. "Is going through that barrier into Mist space like Sisko says?"

Sisko bent down to pick up a piece of glass from the broken plate that had lodged against the leg of the table. He then used that as an opportunity to move slightly away from Prrghh. He didn't know what her agenda was, but he suspected that if he allied himself with her in any way, he would make an enemy of Sotugh.

He and Sotugh had a bickering respect for one another. The last thing he wanted to do was lose that.

As he sat up, Sotugh's gaze met his. Arthur moved between them, picking up the empty heart of targ dish. He took the piece of glass from Sisko with a bit of a grimace. Arthur had worked hard during the last part of Sisko's tale to clean up the mess that Sotugh had made with the nachos.

"Well?" Prrghh purred.

"Sisko has described it accurately," Sotugh said.

"Suddenly," she said, "you seem quite reluctant to talk. Are you tiring of this, or do you think Sisko is being accurate?"

Sisko felt a flash of irritation, but he suppressed it as quickly as it flared. He asked Arthur to bring him some bottled water as well as another Jibetian ale when he brought the jambalaya.

Arthur nodded.

"Sotugh, you do not answer the lady," the wraith from the wall said.

"She is trying to make trouble," Sotugh said.

"But you have been making trouble all along," the wraith said.

"Not the kind Prrghh is making," Sotugh said. "She likes nothing more than disagreements among the people around her."

"So you do disagree with Sisko," the wraith said.

"I do not," Sotugh said. "I am listening to his part of the story. It gets tricky from this point on."

"That it does," Sisko said. He wiped his hands on a napkin, and leaned back. "Do you want to hear more?"

"Yes!" the patrons shouted in various tones and warbles.

To his surprise, Sotugh grinned at him. "It is a successful story so far, Sisko," he said. "Do not keep your public waiting any longer."

Sisko smiled. "As soon as I saw the five improbable planetary systems ..."

... and the beautiful Mist ship, its wings arcing darkly against the blackness of space, I had Cadet Nog open a secure channel to Captain Victor.

Within seconds of our arrival, Captain Victor's face appeared on the main screen. He had replaced his ridiculous little yachting cap, covering the tufts of his hair. It made him look like a young man playing games like Victory in Space. Behind him, Councillor Näna was almost completely visible. I didn't like the look of the councillor. Each time I saw him, he seemed no different, his gray scaly skin ghostlike, his eyes unblinking, and the mouth constantly opening and closing without saying a word.

After a quick glance at Näna, I addressed all my comments to Victor. "Before we go any further," I said, "I want to make certain that you can send our ship and the Klingon ships back to normal space at any time."

"At any time?" Victor repeated.

"Yes." I didn't want to explain myself any more than that, but I did want to be certain that the Mist could save themselves from us, as well as from the colonists.

"At the moment, we can," he said. It was a hedge, but a small one. Dax glanced at me. There was a warning in her eyes that I didn't completely understand. But before I could say anything, Victor continued. "We will bring over the Starship Madison at the point you designated to meet it."

"Good." I glanced at Nog. He was monitoring everything. He seemed to have grown more mature, just in the space of this mission. "Hail the Daqchov. But keep this channel secured."

Nog worked for a moment; then the main screen split, showing both Captain Victor and Sotugh. Sotugh looked slightly disoriented.

"Ah," Sotugh growled. "This is where your perception is incorrect. You were disoriented upon your arrival in Mist space. I was merely gathering data."

Sisko suppressed a smile. "My mistake," he said. "Captain Sotugh looked as if he had been hastily gathering information."

"I don't care how he looked," the Quilli said. "What happened next?"

"I introduced Captain Sotugh to Captain Victor and Councillor Näna," Sisko said.

"And in this Sisko was not exaggerating," Sotugh said. "Näna was one of the most disgusting aliens I had ever seen. But I did not say so at the time. I was too intent on the mission at hand."

"In fact, he began the communication by insulting me," Sisko said, his smile widening.

"Sisko," Sotugh said, "I see you were not lying. But retaking your station with five ships is an idea of a fool."

The Klingons were never polite, not even when we were allies. But Victor seemed taken aback by Sotugh's words. I did not try to soothe him. Instead, I stood my ground, which was always the best course with Klingons.

"True enough," Sotugh muttered.

"I hope you have a plan," Sotugh said.

"Of course I do," I lied. I had the beginnings of a plan, but not a full-fledged one. Not yet. "While it is true that five ships aren't enough to take a space station, I am assuming that Captain Victor and his forces will help, since they have an interest as well."

"It still seems risky," Sotugh said.

"I thought Klingons liked risk," I said.

"We calculate risk just like you do, Captain," he said. "Only we act upon it differently."

"I figured you would help with this fight."

"And I will," Sotugh said. "We seem outnumbered."

"Perhaps," I said. "But Captain Victor has stated that the colony forces are limited."

Victor had been watching our exchange with increasing nervousness. He clearly feared the Klingons.

"A healthy and wise response," Sotugh muttered.

"Their forces are limited," Victor said. He tugged on the bill of his cap, securing it on his forehead. "But we must be careful. You must not destroy the two ships with the ability to shift objects from the main universe."

This was news to me, but it was Sotugh who asked the question, or rather, barked it.

"Why?"

Captain Victor glanced nervously at Councillor Näna. Näna's mouth opened and closed, he did not blink, and yet Victor seemed to have gotten something from the exchange. He said, "Only the same instrument that shifted the station into the Mist space can shift it back to normal space."

I froze. I did not like the way that Victor played these games. "Let me get this straight," I said. "You're saying that if your ship is destroyed, the Daqchov, the Defiant, and the other two Klingon ships will be stranded in this space."

"That is correct, Captain."

"And if we destroy the ship that shifted the space station it will remain shifted," Sotugh said. He sounded as if he were contemplating the idea.

"That also is correct," Captain Victor said.

I didn't like the look on Sotugh's face, but I did not challenge it at that time.

"Sisko," Sotugh said, "you are suggesting that I would intentionally destroy the colony ship that shifted the station."

Sotugh seemed unnaturally calm about this accusation. Sisko slid his chair slightly farther away from Prrghh's. The bar was quiet. The others seemed to think that Sotugh was upset.

Sisko smiled. "Of course I am," he said. "It would have been a brilliant move. If you destroyed the ship and stranded DS9, you would have, with one blow, made quite a difference in any conflict with the Federation. We would have lost permanently a very valuable and strategic asset."

"True," Sotugh said. His eyes twinkled. He had thought of it. Sisko kept his own expression neutral as Sotugh continued. "But at the time I felt the station would be more of a threat to the Empire in the hands of the Mist. I did not as yet know that would not be possible."

Sisko shrugged. "It's my story. And, at the time, I thought what I thought."

"It seems logical," the middle-aged man at the bar said.

Sisko nodded slightly in his direction. But Sotugh frowned. He did not seem to like the fact that someone else agreed with Sisko.

"What would you have done in my position if our roles had been reversed?" Sotugh asked.

Sisko raised his bottle of ale with a slight smile. "I would have considered destroying the colony ship that had shifted the station."

"We are more alike than you like to acknowledge," Sotugh said.

"I thought you were the one saying we were different."

"Only at the beginning of the battle, Sisko," Sotugh said. "Only at the beginning."

This new wrinkle had me very disturbed. Suddenly, we had no margin for error. "Captain Victor," I said, "how can we tell which two colony ships are the ones with the ability to shift?"

Again Victor glanced at the councillor. The councillor's mouth continued to open and close. One of his eyes shifted slightly as if it were looking at Victor, and then shifted back, all unblinking.

That seemed to mean something to Victor. He said, "There is no way to tell, but the ships with the shift modules won't have weapons. Most likely they will back away from any fight."

"That is not good enough," Sotugh said.

I agreed, but did not say so. I wanted as much information as I could gather. I did not want any more surprises.

"What kind of weapons are we facing with the colony ships?" I asked.

"Actually, Captain," Victor said, "our intelligence tells us that only two, maybe three of the colony ships have been outfitted with any sort of weapons. But neither of them would be a match for one of your ships. It was the firepower of the station the colonists were gambling on getting."

"Then let us hope Major Kira managed to disarm the station's weapons," I said. "Is there anything more you need, Sotugh?"

"We are ready to fight," Sotugh said.

I nodded. "We take Ops first. From there we can control the rest of the station."

"Understood," Sotugh said, and cut his communication.

I had Nog cut the communication, then I said, "Set course for Deep Space Nine, warp factor five."

"Yes, sir," Dax said. "We'll be there in exactly twelve minutes."

As we turned and jumped to warp, O'Brien said, "I don't like this."

"Neither do I," Nog said.

"What is there to like?" Worf asked.

I sat down. Sometimes I could learn a lot by listening to the digressions of my crew.

"There's just something odd going on with Captain Victor," O'Brien said. "Something he's not telling us."

"He hasn't told us a lot of things," Dax said. "And I would guess that much of what he has said is lies."

"And we will deal with that," Worf said. "But first we must recapture the station. That is our first priority."

Dr. Bashir had been quiet through all of this, studying the screen and the console before him. Finally he looked up. "Doesn't it strike anyone else odd that five systems full of people, plus another three systems full of colonists, have existed in this region for centuries and none of them have ever turned up outside of legend?"