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Semil

A Cast of Vorta

Keevan was glad to be leaving.

 

The last of the major Jem’Hadar capital ships was preparing to leave Avalon space, and he would soon be on it.

 

His compatriot Elana had let the Alpha Quadrant allies know they were on their own. As expected, their “Round Table” meeting had disintegrated into outrage. It was unfolding exactly as he hoped.

 

The Federation starbase had served its purpose and was, like most things, now expendable. It also served as a physical reminder of Keevan’s greatest failure to the Founders and how close the Council had itself come to annihilation. He was glad to be rid of it.

 

With communications restored through the majority of Dominion space, it was now time to rally the Jem’Hadar and shore up defenses to protect the Founder’s in their solitude. Petty matters involving minor powers from the other side of the galaxy were no concern of his. The Vorta were pulling away from this cumbersome partnership and dealing with the survival of their sacred stewardship.

 

It was as it should be.

 

Nearly two years ago, Keevan had resisted the proposal to accept aid from the Alpha Quadrant powers in their fight against the Hundred. But legions of Jem’Hadar had been defecting to new masters, and the Allies had the virtue of being unconvertible. Semil’s oratory had won the day.

 

Keevan had to admit, the Allies had served well as a buffer. The Hundred had been distracted by them, diverting their attention from serious escalation against the Dominion. But greater threats had emerged, seemingly postponing what was growing into full-scale civil war. The Hundred had joined forces with them, if somewhat independently, against the Scorpiad in order to defeat the Al-Ucard fleet. Keevan and other members of the Council saw this sign for what it was. The Hundred did not wish to see the Dominion destroyed – at least not by solids. This suspended the Vorta Council’s need for collusion with the Alpha Quadrant powers, especially since the relationship was about to become taxing.

 

The Allies preoccupation with the wormhole was understandable, but not shared. The trans-galactic passage had proved nothing but a disastrous venture for the Dominion. It had dealt them the only defeat in their collective memory, spawning rebellion and sending the Founders into their splendid isolation. Secretly, Keevan knew it had also introduced fallibility to his gods, a notion he carefully weighed in carrying out his stewardship.

 

“Keevan,” announced a voice over the comm system, “this is Weyoun. It is urgent I speak with you.”

 

Keeven twisted his lips. The very architect of their defeat was demanding his attention. Although Weyoun didn’t know it yet, he was another thing Keevan was glad to be rid of. He would not be terminated, although it was still possible his line would be ended. Weyoun had one more purpose to serve him. To serve the Founders, Keevan corrected himself, but he knew full well his first thought had been the correct one…

Edited by Semil

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A joint log with Semil. On a Jem'Hadar ship near the Chambra Vortex...

 

T’Salik read the decrypted text with typical dispassion.

 

It was a testament to Vorta observational power that Eris detected the subtle change in expression nonetheless. “Something has happened,” she stated. She tilted her head inquisitively. “Is it something you can share?”

 

The Vulcan ambassador considered briefly. As a Starfleet-trained communications officer, she knew she couldn’t just hand the contents of the message over directly. Comparison of the resolved plaintext against the transmitted ciphered transmission could give the Dominion insight into Federation encryption methods. Secure communication remained one of the most crucial, and fleeting, of technological advantages.

 

T’Salik committed the contents to memory and cleared the display buffer. As she thought over her response, she considered that the news might already be known to Eris. Since they travelled aboard a Jem’Hadar ship, it was logical to assume the Vorta kept in contact with her superiors in the Council. Or perhaps the Dominion was able to decode Federation diplomatic dispatches. Despite their overtures, the Vorta remained quite tight-fisted about sharing technology and intelligence.

 

According to Jeralla's message, those overtures were ending.

 

T’Salik recognized she was at a juncture of trust. She leaned on her knowledge of the wisdom of Surak. It was time for a “step of measured vulnerability,” shq quoted to herself.

 

“It is a communication from my attache on Camelot,” the Vulcan envoy-general explained. “It seems the Scorpiad have moved against Federation interests near New Bajor and have elsewhere seized the wormhole entrance.”

 

Eris pressed her lips together, betraying no reaction beyond curiosity.

 

T’Salik reminded herself what excellent diplomats the Founders had engineered. She chose to press on, knowing the next information could very well endanger both her and the mission. “In response, it appears your government has withdrawn support from Avalon, citing ‘internal concerns’.”

 

* * * * *

 

Eris turned away from the Vulcan woman.

 

Keevan had manipulated the situation well. More concilatory members of the Council, like herself, had been sent away on assignment. Even though he had completed his quest from the Founder, Weyoun was still distrusted by most of the Council. The heir apparent Taenix had not yet assumed real control. There were few Vorta with enough experience to challenge this decision. No doubt Etana had lent her support.

 

Eris knew the Founders had always trusted her with their most difficult missions. It was she who had been chosen to make first contact with the Federation and attempt to infiltrate their society. It was her Jem’Hadar battle group who had delivered the messages of warning to the Alpha Quadrant. They had obliterated the first New Bajor colony. They had captured the commander of Deep Space Nine. They had destroyed the starship Odyssey. She herself had stood defiantly against Starfleet on their own bridge, warning them of the consequences of violating Dominion space again.

 

Now, she was partnered with one of them, trying to find a diplomatic solution to the unravelling of her own quadrant. Thusfar, their search had been in vain. Was it the will of the Council that she abandon it?

 

Had she not acted on her own initiative in approving Weyoun’s mission, they would not have received new direction from the Founder being held at Earth. They would have known nothing about the Scorpiad except what the Allies had learned. She had seen that the will of the Council was not always the will of the Founders.

 

She replaced the viewing eyepiece on her face, turning back. “Our mission would seem that much more urgent if we are to stand against them,” she advised the Federation envoy. The Vulcan showed no visible sense of relief, but was clearly approving. “We must make contact." She ordered her First, "Increase the strength of our signal and take us directly into the Vortex.”

 

Eris felt a twinge of sacrilidge at her small step of independence, but then, perhaps that's what the Founders had been intending all along. She repeated this thought to herself, finding some measure of comfort in it.

Edited by Ambassador TSalik

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