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Tears of Time	By : ShriTal88 Category: Star Trek > Deep Space 9 Views: 2325 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Star Trek or any characters from Star Trek. It belongs to Paramount, CBS, Gene Roddenbury. I make no money from this.

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CHAPTER XXIX

Julian started to turn to look at her. The phaser's barrel dug into his neck harder.

“Move again and I will shoot.”

“I told you how I got here. The Orb brought me here.” Julian said, breathing slowly. “It was an accident. I just want to go back to my time.” Why did everyone on Cardassia have a phaser except him?

“According to Starfleet files, you are a cadet in the Academy right now. You don't graduate till next year.”

“Starfleet Files? I have not lied to you. Surely you know as a Starfleet officer...”

“Don't spout off that Federation dogma. Are you planning to assassinate Legate Ghemor?” Tskara dug the edge of the phaser into Julian's neck a little tighter.

“No. I am a doctor. I don't assassinate people.”

“Your master is capable of anything,” Tskara said. “He will be sorely disappointed when you are the one who is dead instead.”

“I am not here to hurt Legate Ghemor,” Julian said. “I am a doctor. I do not murder people.”

Tskara carefully slid off the bed and moved to stand in front of him.

“Move your hands, and I will shoot you.”

Julian nodded, looking up at her.

“You would have shot me in the back?” Julian asked.

“As my mentor would have said, 'Safest way.'” Tskara said. “And you are here to answer my questions. Not the other way around. Are you here to assassinate me?” She moved the edge of the phaser forward to press to Julian's cheek.

“No. I am not here to hurt anyone. Garak said you were going to teach me how to keep safe with Cardassians.”

“Garak says much. Most of it is not worth listening to.”

Julian glared at her. Garak did not know about her. She might help him if he played his cards right. And when he got back, he and Garak would have a lot to discuss.

Tskara smirked at him. She widened her stance, steadying her position.

“I swear it is the truth. I am not a spy. I was brought here by the Orb, and that is all I know. I do not want to hurt anyone. Please...you have to believe me.” Julian made direct eye contact with Tskara. Where was Garak? Surely the man had a monitoring device on him so he could spy on the lesson.

“I believe you,” Tskara decided at length. She lifted her skirt and slid the phaser into a holster.

“Who are you?”

“No one too important to the Federation,” Tskara said. “Not a word of this gets back to Garak. Consider everything said today to be private. I assure you it would be a simple matter to have you eliminated and replaced.”

Julian's eyes grew wide.

“Now, Mr. Garak wants you trained to be able to accurately read a Cardassian and make a good judgment call for your safety.”

“Why do you believe me now?”

“Do you want to die?” Tskara withdrew the phaser again, aiming at Julian.

“I just want to know why you thought I was here to kill someone.” Julian said.

“I assume you are familiar with the play Julius Caesar from Earth.”

Julian nodded.

“You did everything you could yesterday to cozy up to me and be my friend. And at your Cardassian Master's request. What better person to then stick a knife in my back? However, you seem honest, and having spoken to the Gul of the ship that picked you up in the Cardassian home system, I think your story is believable—for the moment. Just know that you are walking on very fine sand.”

“How did you know I am a Cadet at the Academy?” Julian let his breathing even out. He kept an eye on the folds of her skirts.

“I have my sources, young man, which are none of your business. Now, about keeping you safe. The first thing we need to work on is your snottiness.”

“When was I ever rude?” Julian asked. She was surely a wealth of information about Cardassians and more than worth listening to. But still, he thought he had been polite for the most part.

“'Where are you going?'” Tskara mimicked in an overly whiny and petulant tone of voice with a hint of aggression near the end. “That is how Mr. Garak heard you speaking. You were whiny, petulant, and demanding. You acted entitled to the information and in front of someone who is not family or even a close friend. You disrespected him. Most other Cardassians would have slapped you and told you to think before addressing them that way. For whatever reason is in his head, he was considerate of you.” Tskara reclined next to Julian on the bed, resting on a dark blue pillow.

Julian stared at her. He would never have seen his question as being all the things that Tskara described.

“What would you have done in this situation? Am I just supposed to sit and look pretty and never question him? Because Cardassians are never wrong,” he asked, looking over at her. He could not help rolling his eyes with the last statement.

Tskara smirked at the ending statement. “Of course not. Firstly, there is nothing wrong with questioning Mr. Garak. Don't expect honesty or forthrightness from him. Asking questions leads to conversations, and conversation is something that all Cardassians enjoy and endeavor to excel at. It was how you stated the question that was the problem.”

“It was a simple inquiry.”

“There are better ways to winkle information out of Cardassians. You should have said some sort of variation of 'When will I see you again?' And you should have touched him when you asked. The best way in this situation would be to cross your hands over his heart plate bone. You are in a somewhat public setting.”

“Heart plate bone?”

“The flat spoon shaped depression on top of the sternum is called the heart plate bone. It is very sensitive. Cardassian males keep it covered in public. Young, single, available Cardassian females leave it uncovered to advertise their availability to males.”

Julian nodded. “How is your question any different?”

“My question implies that I care for the Cardassian in question, and being parted from him is painful to me. It lets him know subtly that he is important and I would prefer to stay at his side. And the action implies that I understand that I can not, but that I send a part of myself with him. Cardassian males believe powerfully in the strength of their partners. Kissing and petting over that plate during intimacy is one of the most powerful ways to show him how much you care. Most married Cardassians do not carry intimacy to that point, even in private.”

Julian flushed a little, remembering how he had kissed it. It was a very intense gesture from the sound of it, and he had not known. What did Garak think of him for doing that? “What does it mean?”

“It is a request to be in his heart,” Tskara said, looking Julian over.

BEEP!

“Enter,” Tskara called.

Tskara instantly moved to the Legate as he walked into the room.

“Legate.” She touched the side of his face gently.

“I'm going to Central Command Headquarters.”

Julian looked away. This seemed private, though it would be an excellent learning opportunity.

“Agent Regnar brought his pet by for training.”

“Of course. You are welcome to whatever is in the food replicator's menu,” Legate Ghemor said, looking over at Julian. “Please, consider yourself a guest.”

“Thank you, Legate. You are very generous.” Julian looked away as Ghemor kissed Tskara lightly on the mouth and they touched the palms of their hands together.

“If there is anything you need, my dear,” Legate Ghemor said, stroking Tskara's cheek.

“You are too kind to me.”

“Just as kind as you deserve and have been to me,” Ghemor said, allowing Tskara to kiss the ridges on his chin.

“I will have dinner ready for you.”

Legate Ghemor pressed their foreheads together briefly before releasing her and leaving.

“Now to get you prepared. You have a lot to learn, and not much time to learn it. I know Mr. Kamar has been invited to the Dukat's party for Palira.”

“Why are you helping me?”

“Iliana asked me to. There is nothing I wouldn't do for her.”
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Tears of Time