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NOW WHOSE FAULT IS IT? AU2

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As usual, please be sure to read this story’s predecessor before this one.

 

And then there was the universe in which O’Brien and Bashir decided to sabotage the newly rechristened Terok Nor instead of cautiously approaching the just-reinstated Garak.

Captured in the act by the ever-vigilant Damar, the two found themselves shoved roughly into holding cells that had so recently benignly held the criminal element of Deep Space Nine. A sympathetic but figuratively hands-tied Odo was warned in no uncertain terms of the penalty for aiding prisoners. Gul Dukat and Garak arrived in short order.

“We already have a repair crew busy restoring the core to its normal, efficient power-output level, and we’re looking into the damage that you caused on the plasma relays,” said Dukat. “But now, what else did you sabotage?”

O’Brien glanced briefly at the three staring in from the other side of the forcefield, and then looked away again.

“Assuming that you’ve been making mischief here since the Defiant left, you’ve had plenty of time to do much more than that, and we’re certainly aware of your engineering skills,” the Prefect remarked.

The blond continued to face the wall, but Bashir regarded Garak appealingly. However, the latter maintained a stoic, unmoved expression.

Observing the silent byplay, however, Dukat turned his attention to the brunette. “Suppose you tell us, Bashir.”

“I’m a doctor, not an engineer,” he replied sullenly, subdued by his disappointment in his failure thus far to elicit any sympathy from his Cardassian friend.

That friend instantly dismayed him further. Garak said sharply, “No, you’re not an engineer, but you’re extremely curious and observant, and of course intellectually genetically enhanced, and you were obviously there with him. You saw what was done. He probably narrated his activities for you, but even if not, you could certainly at least take us to each location where he worked, and point, if nothing else.”

“I’m afraid that I can’t do that.”

Damar said, “I doubt the second part of your statement, but not the first; and if you’re not afraid by now, you absolutely will be shortly.”

The human turned away before any reaction could betray him.

“We’ll leave you to it,” Dukat stated succinctly, and he and Damar departed, as a guard lowered the forcefield only long enough for Garak to enter.

Bashir met his eyes, while O’Brien did not.

“Gentlemen, you’ve put me in a seriously awkward position,” Garak said.

“Look, I’m sorry…,” Bashir began.

“Don’t apologize to him!” O’Brien cut him off, turning abruptly to face them both bitterly.

“I’m not apologizing, Miles, I’m sympathizing. Of course this is an uncomfortable, caught-in-the-middle situation for him; I’m his closest friend here on the station, but now he’s just been newly reinstated….”

“Yeah, exactly! He’s reinstated: he’s betrayed us!”

“Stop,” Garak ordered firmly enough to silence both men in surprise. “I have not yet betrayed you nearly as much as I soon will, if you don’t give me the answers to Dukat’s questions, and fast.”

Bashir blinked at him, and O’Brien dropped his tired face worriedly into his hands, and ominously muttered, “Ah, jeez.”

“Garak!” There was a world of meaning in that single word from Bashir as he stared at his alien friend in shock and disbelief.

Unruffled, Garak looked back at him, and said pragmatically, “I admit that I’ve sheltered you from certain harsh realities about me, and actively protected your naïveté. But I think that you know what my true profession is, despite our years-long avoidance of the topic. So the issue is: are you going to make me demonstrate it for you as well?”

Crestfallen, his faith beginning to shatter, Bashir whispered, “I’m supremely hurt that you would even consider….”

“Not yet, but you will be.” Garak spoke bluntly.

Disillusioned, the doctor spoke harshly as well, “Then get on with it, if you can truly bring yourself to harm me.”

“Doctor.” Odo’s voice brought both human heads back up sharply; neither of them had even seen the constable reenter. “You’d better rethink your attitude. He’s most definitely not bluffing. Believe me, I would know.” His tone was filled with significance, and its compelling quality brought everyone’s eyes to him, for at least a moment. If there was the faintest shadow of guilt or regret on Garak’s face, he banished it so quickly that none could be certain to have seen it, and while Bashir’s and O’Brien’s expressions did not crumple in realization of Odo’s meaningful words, neither did either human brush off his reminder casually. “He will get the information. The only question is: how much do you want to endure first.”

Garak turned pointedly away from the shapeshifter just outside of the forcefield, and said sternly, “As for you, O’Brien, I know all too well how much you fear my people’s capabilities for creative abuse; your wife graphically told all of ops about it when you were captured by Gul Evek, and taken before a Cardassian tribunal. I also vividly recall the fear that I told you that I saw in your eyes on Empok Nor while I beat you, when I was under the influence of a psychogenic drug.” He went closer to study the blond human more intently. “Although you’re clearly trying to hide it, that same fear is in your eyes now.”

A spark of resentment entered O’Brien’s eyes alongside the fear. He said sharply, “Julian, he’s also starting to look the way that he did on Empok Nor: cold, calculating, heartless….”

“And without drugs this time. Fancy that,” Garak commented with biting sarcasm. “Yes, I still know how to be completely dispassionate, how to play my part and do what I have to do. So, yes, Julian, I’ll be able to go through with it. Do not make the tragic mistake of underestimating me.”

O’Brien countered, “I always knew that you were truly evil after all. You were snidely insulting me in a prejudiced, antagonistic manner on the runabout on the way to Empok Nor, even before you were exposed to that drug. You see, Julian, I warned you when you first befriended this turncoat. I told you not to trust or become fond of a Cardassian.”

“Stop it you two, just stop it! You’re making my head spin!” Bashir was clearly frustrated and flustered.

“Don’t give him ideas!” O’Brien snapped sarcastically. “He might figure out a way to literally do that. There’s probably no end to his diabolically vicious talents.”

Garak lost patience then and there. “All right. Both of you: disrobe. Now.”

O’Brien’s anger visibly turned to rage. “No way!”

“Come now, Chief. You know from your firsthand tribunal experience that that’s standard procedure.” He produced a grin that effectively communicated coldhearted enjoyment of the blond’s discomfort.

Neither human budged, telegraphing silent refusal.

Unsurprised, Garak stated blandly, “Then you’ll have to be forced.”

“Just try it!” O’Brien’s eyes now filled with near hate, and one hand curled into a fist.

Blithely unconcerned, Garak called over his shoulder, “Guards.”

The summoned Cardassians moved forward, menacing in their callousness.

Bashir tensed and hastened, “Now wait, Garak, just wait a minute!”

His erstwhile friend halted the guards’ advance with one subtly raised finger, and observed the brunette pragmatically.

But before the doctor could say a word, the engineer insisted firmly, “You’re not going to surrender!”

“Yes, as a matter of fact, I am.”

“Julian!”

“Miles, you said yourself that we didn’t accomplish anything all that momentous. It’s not as if any of our little tamperings will affect the outcome of the war….”

“No, but it’ll slow them down a little!”

“And that’s enough to justify us both being hurt, injured, and probably traumatized???”

“If necessary! This is war!”

“Well, I’m sorry to hear that giving the enemy a minor nuisance is enough to validate major damage to us in your judgment, but it isn’t sufficient reason in mine.”

“Where’s your dedication?”

“It lies in keeping us unharmed; I’m doing this for you at least as much as for me.”

“I meant your devotion to the war effort.”

“I’m a doctor, not a soldier.”

“And as I told Garak on Empok Nor, I’m not a soldier; I’m an engineer, but we have our duty!”

“Have you bothered to think how we’ll do our duty if we’ve been ruined physically or psychologically? If you’re determined to think of us only as cogs in a war machine, think of how little we’ll be able to contribute in the future if we’ve been rendered dysfunctional. Let’s make sure that what we’ve achieved is worth that sacrifice before we decide that this is the time to make it.”

“Enough.” Garak succinctly reminded the debaters of his presence. “Choose. I don’t have all day.”

Bashir rose. “Take me with you. As you said, I can point to all of the damage that was done.”

“Damnit, Julian…!” O’Brien grabbed at the doctor’s wrist, which was then casually pulled out of his grasp.

“But I want your word first that no one will harm Miles while we’re gone, that he’ll be left in peace.”

Garak nodded agreeably. “You have it.”

“And that neither of us will be hurt after I’ve shown you all of the sabotage.”

“Agreed.”

“And you believe him?!” the engineer challenged.

“Yes, I do. But what other guarantee can I request, in any case?”

“You’re throwing away everything that we accomplished…!”

“I thought that you were the one who had feared these people’s torture techniques for years, that that was the reason for your trying to warn me away from Garak in the first place. You should be glad that I’m getting you off of the hook. And frankly, no, I don’t want Garak to ‘demonstrate’ his ‘diabolical’ talents for me; after sharing lunch and intellectual chats and even holoprograms with him for years, it would be just too surrealistically weird. And finally, I outrank you, and I’m ordering you to be meek and obedient, and behave yourself while I’m gone: don’t get into trouble!”

“Very wise,” approved Odo.

“Yes, sir.” The blond said tersely, temper barely in check.

“Let’s go,” said Garak, all businesslike.

Bashir nodded to him briskly and followed.

Once they were alone, however, Garak relaxed his attitude somewhat. Taking Bashir lightly by the arm, he said kindly, “Don’t take O’Brien’s response too hard. He won’t let himself show it, but he is relieved to be let ‘off of the hook,’ as you say. He really was frightened; I could see it. It’s just that you mammalian males are so foolishly stubborn about hiding fear.”

“Thanks, I suspected as much.”

“He’ll probably appreciate your decision later, after he calms a bit. And as for me, I’m pleased with this resolution as well. I didn’t want to have to hurt you, Julian. Make no mistake, I would’ve obeyed orders and done what was expected of me; I’m determined not to be exiled again, and especially not so soon. But I surely didn’t relish the prospect of having to demonstrate my rather vile skills on you. You humans have an appropriate expression: ‘This’ll hurt me more than it will you.’”

The human managed a faint smile. “Now that you mention it, and putting my own stubbornness aside, I was afraid, too.”

Garak smiled gently. “I know.”