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Semil

Closing the Gap

Semil, Vorta agent of the Dominion, stood outside Holodeck One on Camelot Station, clearing the last of the Starfleet and Tal’shiar safeguards for those wishing access to the prisoner inside. Despite his protestations, the Romulans were quite protective of what they considered their prize. No doubt the arrival of some two-hundred of their warships was meant to underscore that. Semil smiled to himself. Such small numbers would be hardly an irritant to Dominion forces stationed in the quadrant. If the Romulans attempted to flee with the prisoner against his wishes, the reaction would be swift. The Tal’shiar would see their biggest slaughter since the Battle of the Omarian Nebula. Although the Founders had strictly forbidden outright aggression in their absence, they had accepted that military force might be needed to protect their borders and interests. The restrictions that kept him from prosecuting war against the Hundred would not apply to belligerents intent on undermining his gods.

 

But he was here to prevent such risks. He must find a way to help his current allies extract information that was useful against the Hundred, without exposing the Founders to greater risk.

 

So far, the balance had been maintained.

 

Captain Sorehl had been working with the Romulans, using a Vorta interrogation tool right here on the holodeck. Semil knew his counterpart, Armante, had been unknowingly exposed to an illusion in which he believed he was defending his actions before the Founders. According to the data provided to all parties, the prisoner had been most forthcoming with details.

 

Semil reflected on what they’d learned. The Hundred, he had always suspected, did not consist of one hundred members. That was the number of “newly-formed” changelings that had originally been sent out by the Founders decades earlier. Odo had been one, the first to return. It was unlikely that many of the others had yet been found.

 

* * * * *

 

Armante had remained in the knelt position for hours, maybe days, under the glare of the Founder.

 

“How many?” the Founder spoke coolly.

 

“I have seen only the one who came aboard our ship,” Armante admitted, “but he spoke of a New Link which must contain others.”

 

“Odo has spoken to us of Laas. He is among this link?” the Founder spoke, sounding hopeful. “He is their leader?”

 

“No, Founder,” Armante answered, almost apologetically. “I was told that Laas found others, but was himself a casualty of the disease created by the Federation. He did not link with the others to prevent their infection.”

 

He could not see the Founder or the expression it assumed, but he thought he detected a trace of sadness in the voice. “That is regrettable.”

 

“The others feel as you do,” the bowed Vorta added.

 

“Explain.”

 

“They blame the Federation for harming one of your kind. And they seem to feel, as Laas taught them, that Odo…” He paused. “…has corrupted the Great Link in a way far more insidious than the disease he carried.”

 

* * * * *

 

Semil considered the impact of that statement. If the Hundred felt that the Link was somehow contaminated, they might be unwilling to ever reconcile. But without a real Founder to assure them, how could they ever close this gap? And what were the Hundred after?

 

He looked aside, seeing the Holodeck doors open. Inside lay more answers, if he could contain the childless possessiveness of the Romulans and the naivete of the Federation. At least he could provide some adult supervision, he realized, although the penalty for misbehavior was likely to be much more than a simple spanking. He considered the information forwarded to him by the Vorta Council. It might prove a decisive factor. He almost looked forward to it.

Edited by Semil

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