She looked at him. Inside she was trying not to start crying again. "I have some leave coming. I want to take it now. No. I need to take it now. I have to get away, before I can get my feeling straightened out. If I'm working with you everyday, I feel myself starting to lose myself in the comfortableness of our relationship. I have to make sure my feelings are true not just what is comfortable."
Duncan looked at her. He knew how hard this had been on her. He took her hands in his. "Like I told you before. Whatever you need to do. I'll not going to push you or force this. You know how much I love you and how sorry I am. Your request for leave is approved. If you need more time than you have leave. Let me know. It's not a problem."
She looked into his eyes and smiled. It was the first time Duncan had seen her smile in a long time. He was glad to see it. "Thank you for understanding Duncan."
On the docking pylon at Deep Space Nine, the big geared airlock door rolled away to reveal Captain Benjamin Sisko, and Commander Worf standing on the other side. MacDermott and Kern passed through the airlock. Sisko stepped forward and said. "Captain MacDermott. It is a pleasure to see you again. I guess I should thank you for the work you did at Bajor VIII." He shook MacDermott's hand. "This is my Chief of Strategic Operations, Commander Worf."
MacDermott took Worf's hand. "It's been a long time, Worf. How are you doing?"
"You two know each other?" Ben said.
"We have met before." Was all MacDermott said.
"Captain Sisko, why the priority one message?"
"There is someone here on the station, I think you'll be interested in talking to. He's a Bajoran named Fel Taran. He was a member of the Maquis who escaped from the Cardassian prison camp on Tarax Prime one month ago." Worf said.
"So what." Duncan said bluntly.
Sisko said. "He gave us the names of the prisoners he knew. One of the prisoners was named Ian MacDermott." Duncan nearly collapsed at the sound of his brother's name. He'd thought that the Cardassians killed Ian fifteen years ago. "We did some checking and found out that he was your brother."
"He's alive?" Duncan said weakly.
"Apparently." Worf said. "Along with a friend of mine. Sito Jaxa."
Fel stood up. "You can enter through here." He pointed to a small thermal exhaust port near the surface.
"We never knew there was a breach in our security net. Humph" Garak, the former agent for the Obsidian Order seemed hurt.
Fel continued. "Waste air is removed through this. It will take you directly to the prisoner level. Once you've freed the prisoners you can get out the same way. Your ship can beam you up once you're clear of the exhaust port."
"Captain MacDermott, you, Mister Worf, and your Chief of Security, are going to be reassigned temporarily to this mission."
"Understood." Duncan said.
Everyone was so involved in separate discussions that no one noticed it when another person became visible and joined the meeting. "Good afternoon, everyone. I'm. Shawn..."
Everyone's head snapped around at the sound of the strange voice. MacDermott, Sisko, and Worf all said simultaneously. "German!"
O'Brien walked onto the Missouri before MacDermott had a chance to warn Connor about the changes about to be made to his ship. He made his way down to engineering. The first thing he noticed was that this was cleanest engineering deck he'd ever seen. It looked like it had never been used. There was a pair of legs sticking out from under a console. O'Brien nudged them with his foot. "I'm looking for a Commander O'Roarke."
"Miles O'Brien, Chief engineer of Deep Space Nine and the USS Defiant. I'm here to help you install the cloaking device from the Defiant." Miles said shaking Connor's hand.
Connor took his hand back. "You're what? You're not installing anything without Captain MacDermott's approval. You can keep that Romulan piece of....."
MacDermott and Kern strolled into engineering. "Good afternoon, Connor. Is there a problem with the installation of the cloaking device?"
"Ah no Sir. It's just.....I......didn't know anything about any installation of a cloaking device." Connor said.
"I just found out myself. Just make it so. I want tests run tomorrow a.m." MacDermott ordered as Duncan and Kern left engineering.
"Captain MacDermott. I am here to relieve you of command." Admiral Necheyev said.
Duncan took the padd out from under his arm. He cleared his throat before beginning to read. "To: Captain Duncan Erin MacDermott commanding officer USS Missouri. You are hereby requested and required to relinquish command of USS Missouri to Captain Rainor Marie Scott, commanding officer of Starbase three three four as of this date." There was a low murmur among the crew gathered there when they heard she was not a starship captain. "Signed Admiral Necheyev Starfleet Command." Duncan finished and without hesitation said. "Computer. Transfer all command codes to Captain Rainor Scott, authorization MacDermott five five six."
"Transfer completed. USS Missouri now under command of Captain Rainor Scott." The computer said.
"You are relieved." Scott said flatly to Duncan extending her hand.
Duncan shook her hand. "I stand relieved."
"Worf, it's really good to see you again. It's been a long time since......." Duncan's voice trailed off.
She returned a moment later with their drinks.
Worf look down at the glass of prune juice in his hand. "Yes, it has been a long time."
Jadzia was confused. "What was a long time ago? Worf? Captain?"
"You haven't told her, have you?" Duncan asked the Klingon.
"No. I never saw the need to bring it up."
Dax was getting angry now. "Bring what up?"
"How I first met Captain MacDermott." Worf said.
Duncan said. "It was not under the best of circumstances. Before we tell this story. A toast. To the children."
They raised their glasses high, and as the touched. They all said, although Jadzia didn't know why, yet. "To the children."
The walls of the prison were cold and damp as the team made their way down the passage.
"NO NO NO." It was the voice of Shawn Gorman. "How many times do we have to go through this. The Cardys set up dampening fields in their prisons that disrupt the cloaking fields. They are to prevent exactly what we are attempting to do here. If you project a field of tachyons into the field it will disrupt it long enough for you to get through."
The three men were tired and sore. They had been at this for some nine hours now. MacDermott looked at the two Klingons. "Let's do it again." He said it without much enthusiasm as he trotted off back up the passageway again.
Gorman yelled after them. "Pick up the pace a little. This is a rescue mission, not a walk across the academy commons."
"Yes Ma'am. We are now outside the sensor range of Deep Space Nine. The test scenario has us now cloaking and......"
She cut him off. "I am fully aware of the test scenario, Mister Kern." She said sharply.
"Yes Ma'am. Commander Costello engaged the cloaking device. Helm, set course for Deep Space Nine. En....."
The captain cleared her throat.
"Excuse me, Captain?" Kern asked her.
She looked down her nose at Kern. "Commander, while I'm on the bridge, I'll give the orders. Do I make myself clear?" Her question brought nervous glances from all those on the bridge.
Melora walked up the path to her parent's home in Hawaii. She didn't tell her parents she was coming. They were very surprised to see her. "I just needed to take some leave. I missed home." She told them.
After a while her father left the house to tend to the yard. Melora's mother turned to her and said. "All right Melora, What's wrong? I know there is something you're not telling me."
"My advice to you now. Put her out of your mind. Think about the mission and nothing else but the mission. If you're not completely focused on the objective, you'll end up getting yourself and everyone else on the team killed." Gorman said.
"Captain, could I see you for a moment?" Duncan asked. In private." He added.
She looked down her nose at him. "Is it important?"
"Yes, I believe it is." Duncan retorted.
"Very well." She sneered. "In my ready room."
"You can't micromanage every aspect this mission." Duncan started. "That is not your job. Your job is....."
She cut him off shouting. "I know what my job is. It used to be your job." The veins in her neck were throbbing.
"I'm aware of that. I was just trying to help you with the transition." He tried to tell her.
"Get off my bridge, before I have you escorted off under guard. If you think I'm bluffing Captain, try me." She dared him.
"That won't be necessary Captain." Duncan turned and left.
They crouched down trying to make as small a target as possible. None of them remembered they were invisible. Worf took the lead.
There were two Cardassians in the passageway. The first one's head snapped to the side as Worf's invisible hands twisted it. The other looked down in wonderment as blood suddenly appeared from a wound in his chest as he slumped against T'Gerran's mek'leth. They pulled the bodies out of the way and hid them in a storage closet. Once again they were moving toward the life sign. Worf mouthed. "Bajoran, Human so far."
They rounded the last corner after deactivating the dampening field. Before them stood a heavy metal door. Worf drew his phaser and shot at the lock. The door started to fall open slowly, revealing a blackened cell. They could make out the shape of a humanoid in the dim light. MacDermott turned his palm beacon and shined it into the cell.
