Chapter 14 - I Am Of Bajor-You'll Have To Show Me!

Interlude - Late May, 1956, River Bend, Missouri--And This, The Final Battle...

The people from Deep Space Nine and the people from the 4077th stood in awe of the events they now beheld. Nothing on this Earth could prepare them.

In full priestly vestments, his arms folded defiantly, floating outside the hole in the wall he had just busted, was Father Francis Mulcahy, armed only with his faith---and the power of The Prophets Of Bajor. He said a few simple words :

"Excuse me, General! Would You Care To Step Outside?"

Dressed as and looking just like Colonel Sherman T. Potter was General Bartford Hamilton Steele, armed only with his insane hatred---and the power of The Pagh Wraiths. He responded :

"SO! You found us! No matter! We shall undo all your works, here and now! You, Priest, shall not provide the Clay to The Potter! The Potter shall not forge a vessel from it for the Sisko!"

Mulcahy rolled his eyes.

"THAT was a figure of speech, you fool! It means that the Potter is the Sisko's ancestor. The only thing I provide is the odd service of taking out the trash. Now, come along quietly...."

"You mean to say that whole Clay, Clay, Clay thing was just...Blasted Prophets! Never say in 3 words whatcha can say in 3000!"

Suddenly, the lethal red glow that had enveloped Captain Benjamin Sisko now surrounded Mulcahy.

"Priest! Your Soul Is Mine!"

Francis shook off the red glow almost casually. The feedback sent Steele flying.

"General! I Don't Think So!"

Back and Forth, the battle raged. At Sisko's behest, all the others went in the opposite direction. Mildred Potter was most stunned of all.

"To think, I was going to visit Mt. Meggido in Israel next year! But if Mildred and Sherman can't get to Meggido..."

Doctor Julian Bashir completed her thought. He was still reeling from watching Eddie, a young man who could easily have been him, die from the side-effects of personality detachment.

"Then, Mrs. Potter, I fear Armageddon will come to us!"

"Looks like it already has come, Julian!"

Bashir and Potter looked at one another. Dorrie Taylor had paid for her crimes---horribly. But Potter had reccommended Eddie to her. He was "mentally retarded", before the genetic acceleration. The Colonel now realized he had as much as judged the brave young soldier unfit to live. That uninformed choice would stay with him all his remaining days. Bashir put his hand on the shoulder of his Captain's ancestor.

"I as much as ordered that boy's death!"

"Sherman, you made a choice based on what you knew. A doctor can do no more. At this time, the prospects of a man like Eddie are limited by fear and loathing. You tried to correct that. May I say, further, you are currently displaying more remorse than my parents did for years!"

Potter knew all this. But still his choice would stay with him. He heard Sisko ask a question.

"Colonel, who exactly is this Steele character?"

"Well...Ben, he's bad news. A man who used to wield a lot of power, fore' he lost his marbles, and his kid! Grim, obsessed, a man who likes to order other people's deaths, always scamming for advantage. Likes to act your friend, until things don't go his way. Heh! Pierce had told me there was a resemblance, but he's a dead ringer for me! Kind of like my evil twin, Lord help me! He was there the day the 4077th opened shop, giving it brand-new, uncertain CO a hard time. He likes to act big-crazy, so you don't think anything of him. Glad-hander, too! From what I hear, the only thing he likes to talk about are those few people he let live, stead of those who got hurt by what he did. Heyy...grandson, you don't got anybody like that in your neck of the woods, do ya?"

Sisko rolled his eyes.

"His name is Dukat, sir. Everything old..."

Max Klinger saw Keiko O'Brien, and asked to speak with her alone.

"Of course, Max! What can I do for you?"

"Keiko, please forgive your old lech of an ancestor! Grabbing your goodies at every turn, constantly turning in bed, tryin' to start something. I really didn't know---well, not completely, anyway. But will you be a good kid and forgive me? Not just for that, but for putting you away with Madame Frankenstein?"

Keiko surprised Max, Miles, Soon-Lee and herself by kissing Max full on the lips.

"Max, I love my husband. And you are my ancestor. But I have wanted to do that all week! Does that make me sick?"

Max wore a stunned smile.

"Well, Keiko, there are families, and then there are families! I'm just glad we have such an open family! Open to what, though, I have no idea."

Behind them, Soon-Lee and Miles were clearing their throats, their arms folded, each tapping one foot on the ground.

"Max?"

"Fair's fair, Keiko! Just one though, guys!"

Soon-Lee and Miles then locked lips for a moment or two. Keiko took note of something.

"Uh, Soon-Lee? Please move your hands up---NOW!"

Soon-Lee stopped, and smiled at her mirror/descendant. Keiko couldn't help but return the smile.

"Sorry, Keiko! But I squeezed little Molly's cheeks, and I just wanted to make sure and get Miles' cheeks, as well!"

Keiko walked over, and reached over behind Miles, who then started.

"No need to be sorry, Grandma! But these are my toys!"

Wisely, neither Miles nor Max said a damned word. Then, ancestor and descendant embraced.

"You are my hero, Soon-Lee Klinger! Surviving that awful war, dealing with people who hate you so casually! My strength comes from you!"

"You are my hero, Keiko O'Brien! I could not live where you do, with so many wonders, and so many dangers! You have shown me true strength by raising such a wonderful family, and having a husband with such a lovely...."

Max and Keiko both said, "Soon-Lee....!"

"Wife. I was going to say wife."

Allowing this for now, Max and Keiko rejoined the others. Miles spoke to Soon-Lee briefly. In the distance, the battle between the Padre and the Crazy General raged. Something was building.

"You know, Soon-Lee, you and my Keiko aren't completely identical. I did take note of this one cute little ridge right along your lovely...husband."

As Miles walked off, Soon-Lee thought out loud, but under her breath, "Maybe Max cheated on me while I was gone. If so, then that would mean Miles and I have to...". For everyone's sake, she let the thought go---mostly.

Back at the Potter household, Constable Odo arrived, having just missed everyone at Pershing General. Kira sat there, radiating peace.

"Nerys? What's happened? Where is everyone? I found out that Potter's been replaced by an impostor and that these people are involved in the Eugenics... ...What's wrong with you, Nerys?"

"Kira Nerys is not here, Odo. I wanted to talk with you. It's important."

"Who, precisely, are you?"

"Well, let's just say that, while the Prophets are with Francis, I decided to visit Nerys. The Prophets. Always the most inquisitive...Of My Children...My little Angels, if you will."

Odo quickly realized who he was speaking with, spoke two words, and fainted.

"Oh, My...."

Odo and the being he couldn't bring himself to name then vanished.

Across town, a chronal wave began to move, a result of the epic battle.

"Ben? I'm Mldred Potter. Sherm tells me...Oh, here!"

Contrary to much of her upbringing, Mildred gave her tall, dark, handsome descendant a real Grandma's hug. Sisko felt a stirring, and realized how much he missed his own late grandparents.

"Hey, uh, Ben? What's with that wave? Gives me a queasy feeling in my gizzard!"

"It's that dreadful day, come round at last, Sherm. The end of tim........"


SPACE STATION DEEP SPACE NINE

"And You Are....?"

"I, Mister Weyoun, am from StarFleet Intelligence. My name is Colonel Sam Flagg! These are my associates, Commodore Charles Spamlamb, Captain Lois Kent, and Major Matthew Murdock, 2nd-In-Command to Captain Jonathan Tuttle, the reason why I've contacted you!"

Weyoun could sense deception from Flagg, but that was expected, given the circumstances. Sam Flagg, aka Hawkeye Pierce, prayed Vorta telepathy wasn't too strong.

"Well, Colonel, I'm waiting!"

Weyoun was certain they wished to negotiate Tuttle's surrender. Little did they know that the Federation would never be able to give Tuttle up.

"I'm waiting too, Weyoun!"

"What..are you waiting for?"

"You know what I'm waiting for, shapeshifter!"

"How dare You! I am a Vorta, not one of the blessed Founders!"

"Are you sure? You could have infiltrated yourself! I'd check me out if I were you, and I am!"

"You are who?"

"I told you, I'm Colonel Sam Flagg, out of Intelligence. I'm still waiting, too! Don't play dumb with me, fella! You're not as good at it as I am!"

"What are you waiting for, Colonel?"

"Whether or not you're going to give back Tuttle, Weyoun! Aka Gul Damar!"

"How can you ransom Tuttle back when you haven't even given him to us, yet?"

"I agree! And, by the way, I'm Damaar!"

Hawkeye thought to himself, "Remember, pal, you said it, I didn't".

"Ransom Tuttle? How can we ransom him if you don't tell us how you captured him? Dominion trickery! Flagg out!"

Weyoun looked at the screen.

"That man is lying! He knows where Tuttle is, Damaar! Hail him again!"

"Captain Kent, here!"

"Captain, this is Weyoun of the Dominion. May I speak with Colonel Flagg?"

"No chance, you lousy Jem'Hadar! Flagg has got a lead on that defecting traitor Tuttle! My cloaked ships will nail him before he can provide you with anything! Kent out!"

"Jem' Hadar? Do I look like a Jem'Hadar? Wait! Tuttle is defecting? Let's...keep them occupied for a time. Damaar, hail and speak with them. I must figure out what Tuttle is up to!"

"Hurry, Weyoun! This is a deadly game we play. Damaar to Deep Space Nine. We wish to discuss the terms of Tuttle's surrender!"

The man who had been called Murdock now appeared. Trapper was helping to lay the trap.

"No terms for Tuttle's surrender! I want my Captain back, now, you Romulan dogs! Murdock out!"

Weyoun was starting to feel a little less passionless than usual.

"ROMULANS! ROMULANS?!!!!"

Damaar shot off, "I don't see it, myself!"

"That is the end of it! Inform them that unless Tuttle surrenders within the next 10 minutes, Bajor will become a vast wasteland!"

"Commodore Spamlamb here. We have found Captain Tuttle. It seems, Mister Weyoun, that we have a common enemy. Tuttle, it seems, has been ahhh-simliated by the Borg."

"Commodore! You must get him back! The Borg could use Tuttle in ways that we can only imagine!"

"M-hister Weyoun, yoou are quite correct. It is difficult to envision what they might do with such a man! Spamlamb out!"

Damaar looked at the sensors.

"Weyoun, we've been duped! A runabout is leaving the station, impulse only, no shields, and no life support, and no organic material of any kind on board! Damn that Tuttle! Who does he think he's fooling with this kind of chicanery!"

"He's not fooling the Dominion, Damaar! Praise the Founders and fire upon that runabout! Everyone!"

"DS9 is hailing us!"

"I thought as much. Put them on!"

Colonel Flagg certainly looked angry.

"Ambassador, what have you done? WHAT--HAVE--YOU--DONE!?"

"Oh, my God!"

"Major, they've killed Johnny!"

"Captain, those bastards!"

"Tuttle was the best of you. Remember this day what we took from your Federation! Think about the victory we go home with! Remember it always! Weyoun out!"

"Damaar, why aren't we underway?"

"The Jem'Hadar are holding a minute of silence in Tuttle's memory--a worthy foe, whom they shall not be able to face in personal combat"

Weyoun stood up, his hand on his hip.

"Well, it's most inconvenient!"


Worf wasn't much of a laugher. But the sight of the 4077th killing the man they created was too much. Problem : He was doing it during Tuttle's eulogy. He recovered quickly.

"I laugh at those fools who think that, by killing Jonathan Tuttle, they can kill what he represented. Captain Tuttle has now moved into a realm----beyond legend."

Hawkeye later stood up in Sisko's office.

"See folks, we killed Tuttle, made the Dominion run around, and Margaret and I are engaged. Everything's good. Well, not EVERYTHING. I mean, the entire Quadrant seems to be in mourning, and there IS a big wave of energy headed toward the station, like it was coming straight from the end of tim........."


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