Fate of the Admiral, Part I

[Sorehl 0]

As Excalibur searches for the abducted Admiral...

 

With an unceremonious belch of orange gel, Admiral Wayne Day landed hard against the deck of the Jem'Hadar fighter. He fought the urge to wipe himself off, although he knew neither Founder would leave a part of itself clinging to his uniform or skin.

 

Both Founders stood beside him in the airlock. In contrast to the heated words they'd exchanged at Camelot Station before abducting him, the two were focused on him silently, simply observing. "I hope your discomfort wasn't too great," the one on his left finally offered. Founder Two, as Day had taken to thinking of the more magnamous shapeshifter.

 

Founder One, the more hostile of the pair, snorted derisively. "He's lucky you gave him oxygen at all." Day took a deep of real air, no longer sustained by the enriched gel that had been forced into his lungs. For more than a day, he had traveled through space in the interior of a changeling-created, warp-capable creature. The trip had been both physically distressing and mind-blowing. Since they were now clearly on a Dominion ship, presumably a rebel one, the admiral reasoned, the Founders must have been able to avoid pursuit.

 

Behind him, the interior airlock slid open. Three Jem'Hadar soldiers stood beyond. Curiously, Day noted, there was no Vorta. The shortest of the three stepped forward, lowering his head.

 

"You are the First?" Founder One demanded.

 

“I am Hera’temlan,” the armor-skinned warrior replied. “I serve the Founders.”

 

The brusque changling gestured toward Day. “Take this one into custody and process him. He may yet be of use to us.”

 

“No,” insisted Founder Two, interposing himself. “He remains with me.”

 

The Jem’Hadar First looked uncertainly between his two masters, clearly confused. Day remembered Sorehl’s briefing and the comment that such disagreements might never have arisen in two-thousand years of Dominion history. “The nature of the Founders suggests a previous unanimity in their actions,“ the Vulcan had said.

 

A long pause passed between the two shapeshifters, each staring at the other. Getting slowly to his feet, Day couldn’t help but glance at the Jem’Hadar. He wondered, how would absolutely obedient servants deal with conflicting commands? It was the entire civil war in one room.

 

Founder One broke the silence. “Very well,” he relented. “One solid is of no matter to this ship or to our cause. But he is your charge.” He then turned to Hera’temlan. “You will keep an escort with them, shrouded, to ensure... their safety.”

 

The Jem’Hadar bowed his head obediently.

 

“Go,” came the final command, and the Dominion soldiers withdrew in haste.

 

Day was again alone with the two shapeshifters. Founder One stepped closer. “I will speak to the others. They will know how you interfered with my mission against the Alpha Quadrant fleet.”

 

“You destroyed their ships, murdered their crews. You give them the very reason to hate us,” Founder Two asserted.

 

“Save your words for the solids,” Founder One grumbled. "I will await the New Link."

 

"Then I will make my arguments there," Founder Two answered, turning towards Day. “You will not be harmed aboard this ship.”

 

“Where are you taking me, then?” Wayne insisted, braving a question. “To the Hundred?”

 

Behind them, Founder One growled. “We would be most unwise to reveal our home, like our corrupted brethren. For all your peaceful ways, we’ve seen what lengths your species will go to eliminate our kind. We will take council in the Vortex. There, they will decide his fate,” he explained, gesturing to Founder Two, “and yours.”

Edited November 20, 2004 by Sorehl

[Sorehl 0]

It should be noted that the above log takes place on a small Jem-Hadar attack craft, not the Dominion battleship that Excalibur tagged outside the wormhole several weeks ago.