Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

Grief

Chapter Two

"Odo?" Nerys helplessly asked the puddle that lay at her feet. The shimmering liquid offered no evidence that Odo heard her, or if he were even alive.

An abrupt decline in the ambient noise caught Nerys' attention, as she glanced around her and saw throngs of people on the Promenade, curious at the scene before them, had now gathered around for a better look.

"Everybody stay back, please!" Nerys ordered. She was grateful for the several Bajoran military and Starfleet personnel in the crowds who heeded her order and instantly formed a human/Bajoran fence between the crowds and what was once Odo.

"Keep them back," Nerys told one of them, a female Starfleet security officer with the rank of lieutenant. "Don't let anybody step on…him. I'll be right back."

"Yes, Major," she said with a crisp nod.

Nerys ran from the scene, hating with every fiber of her being to leave Odo like that. She didn't know what had happened, and a dark part of her mind wondered if she had just seen Odo die. Nerys prayed to the Prophets that that wasn't the case; that Odo was still alive. But regardless of what just happened, Nerys wasn't about to give up on Odo.

She reached Quark's where she found its odious little owner smiling at her behind the bar. "Good news, Major! We've found some of your--"

"Never mind that," she said urgently. "I need some kind of a bucket, right away!"

"A bucket?!" Quark said with a strange look. "You feeling ill, Major? Maybe you should be seeing Doctor Bas--"

One of the Dabo girls let out a startled scream as Nerys grabbed Quark by the throat with both of her hands and pulled him over the bar so that they were face to face.

"I am not in the mood for any of your stupid games," she snarled at him. "Either you give me a bucket right now, or they'll be carrying you out of here in a bucket!"

"Ok, ok," Quark said, as he stared fearfully at her. "J-Just let me go, and I'll get you your bucket, all right?"

When Nerys released him, Quark practically tore the bar upside-down in his search for a bucket. He found one, quickly checked it for cleanliness, and then handed it to her.

Nerys grabbed the bucket from him and ran back to where Odo had collapsed. She was grateful to see that the ring of Bajoran/Starfleet personnel still kept the crowds away from Odo, who remained nothing more than a puddle on the floor.

"Have you noticed any change?" she asked the lieutenant. "Has he moved at all?"

"Not that we could see, Major," she replied.

Nerys knelt down at the edge of the puddle and turned the bucket over on its side. "Odo? I don't know if you can hear me, but I've found something that can hold you. It's right here, just follow the sound of my voice."

She was grateful to see the puddle suddenly shudder, then it solidified enough into a basic tube-like shape that sought out the bucket with its edge. Nerys pushed the bucket right up against the shimmering mass. "Here it is, Odo."

Odo then slithered right inside the bucket. When Nerys held it back up, she saw that Odo had reverted back into a liquid state inside. "I'll get you back to your quarters, Odo. Just hold on."

Nerys stood up--then paused when she saw Quark standing there with an anxious expression on his face. "Will the Constable be all right, Major?"

His interest seemed sincere. So Nerys nodded. "He'll be fine, just as soon as I get him back to his quarters." She stepped past him, then stopped. "Hey Quark, um, sorry…about…you know…."

"Actually, it was always my dream to be touched by you, Major," Quark shot back. He then rubbed his neck. "Just…not quite so roughly…."

Nerys just shook her head in disgust as she ran off with Odo cradled in her arms.

###

When Odo finally awoke, he wondered what he was doing in his bucket so soon. It wasn't time yet for him to rest. Then he grew alarmed when he realized that the last memory he had in his solid form was speaking to Major Kira on the Promenade.

'How did I wind up here?' he wondered. 'What happened?'

He emerged from the bucket, and then, once on the floor, solidified into his usual form. A glance at the chronometer on the wall told him that several hours had passed. Another glance at the bucket he had just emerged from told Odo that it wasn't even his usual sleeping place. He was just about to call Ops to find out just what was going on when he caught sight of something so extraordinary that it stopped him in his tracks.

It was Major Kira. She was in his quarters, curled up fast asleep in a chair by the window. She still wore her uniform, yet had made herself at home by removing her boots.

If Odo was curious to know what had happened before, now he was absolutely insatiable. He almost felt like a protagonist in one of those old earth detective novels who woke up to find themselves in an inexplicable situation with no knowledge of what went on before. Usually they wound up being framed for a crime they did not commit, such as having murdered the dead body that they woke up in the same room with.

'Thankfully, that won't happen here,' Odo thought. 'Major Kira's only sleeping; she's not actually--" Then he gave the sleeping Kira a double take. 'Wait, she is sleeping, isn't she?!'

Odo leaned over and inspected Major Kira very closely. He was pleased--and relieved--to see that she was in a deep sleep.

At least until Kira awoke with an alarmed cry, which also startled Odo to the point where he backed away. Kira arose from the chair, half asleep, with her body in a combat stance.

"Take it easy, Major," Odo said, as he held his hands up. "My apologies for startling you."

Kira glanced around her momentarily, then let out a heavy sigh of relief when she realized everything was all right. She then gave Odo a strange look. "Why were you leaning over me like that?"

"Just checking to see if you were all right," Odo replied. "I awoke to find myself here, with you sleeping in the chair. I wasn't sure what had happened."

"Are you all right?"

He nodded. "Yes, if a little confused."

"You don't recall what happened?"

"I remember speaking to you on the Promenade," Odo said, as he searched his memories. "And then I found myself--along with you--right here."

"You collapsed into a liquid form--into a puddle--right on the Promenade," Kira told him. "I got a bucket from Quark's and brought you back here. You've no memory of that?"

Odo shook his head, feeling concerned. Then it hit him: he recalled what they had been discussing. "Élan Li…."

Just saying her name now was painful for Odo, as if salt had been poured into an open wound. He thought back to the last time they spoke; it was over their comm-badges, when Li told him that she had assembled an armed team and were on their way up the pylon. Li had asked if Odo had wanted them to wait for him.

"I never should have let her go up," Odo whispered regretfully. "I should have made them wait for me, and then maybe Li would still be alive now."

"Odo, listen to me," Kira said softly. "It wasn't your fault."

"It was, Major," he insisted. "I am the Constable, the chief of security aboard this station. I should have been right there when it happened."

Kira placed her hand on his arm. "But you can't be everywhere at once. And you can't blame yourself for Li's death--anymore than I can blame myself for the people who've died under my command."

"In any event," Odo said grimly. "I've now got a new problem to deal with--namely, why did I collapse on the Promenade like that?"

She stared thoughtfully at him for a moment. "I think we both know why you collapsed on the Promenade, Odo. Li's death has affected you far more than you've thought."

Odo shook his head. "I've lost Deputies before, Major. While I was deeply saddened at their loss, I've never reacted like this."

"That's because none of the others were like Li. She was your protégé, Odo. But she was also much more. She was a good friend to you. Despite the fact that you tried to move on by treating her death just like it was any other, a part of you, the part that cared for Li, rebelled--which was why you collapsed on the Promenade."

"You're saying I'm suffering from a psychosomatic illness?"

"I'm saying you're suffering from grief," she replied. "And there's nothing wrong with that."

Odo was about to argue, yet a deep-rooted feeling within him confirmed that what Major Kira said was true. Odo did miss Élan Li terribly--so much so that it ached. Yet there was something else that he also realized: the fact that Major Kira was here at all. It would have been enough for Odo had Kira simply brought him back to his quarters, but he was touched by the very notion that she had stayed with him like this.

Kira's comm-badge beeped. "Sisko to Kira."

"Kira here, sir."

"Just checking on how Odo's doing."

When Kira gestured at him, Odo tapped his comm-badge. "I'm here, Captain. I'm doing fine, thank you."

"Excellent to hear, Constable. If you're feeling up to it, I'd like you to join us in my office for a strategy session in a half hour, once Dr. Bashir clears you for duty."

"Looking forward to it, sir. Odo out."

"I'd better get going," Kira said, as she sat down and pulled her boots back on. "Guess I'll be seeing you at that meeting."

Odo nodded. "I'd just like to thank you, Major, for all that you've done for me just now. I appreciate it."

"What are friends for?" Kira asked, as she got to her feet. She then paused at the door and added, "By the way, Odo, you can call me Nerys, you know."

"Yes, Nerys. I'd like that."

The examination in the infirmary was quite routine; Dr. Bashir quickly cleared Odo for active duty. Once the exam was over, Odo went to the room where Li's covered body was, and saw that it was not there.

"Deputy Élan's body has been placed in stasis," Bashir informed him. "Her family are on their way from Bajor now."

"I see. Will the services be on the station?"

"They didn't say."

"That decision is entirely up to the family, of course," Odo said.

"No law stopping us from having our own service right here on the station," Bashir told him. "Deputy Élan had many friends here, who I'm sure would very much like to pay their final respects."

"You're right, doctor," Odo replied. "Good idea."

As Odo started to go to the Captain's office, there was something about the conversation he just had with Dr. Bashir that bothered him. It wasn't so much the conversation itself, but the fact that Dr. Bashir mentioned Élan Li's family were on their way to the station that had stirred up something at the back of Odo's mind.

Then, right while Odo strode through the Promenade, it struck him. The Tarkio's cover story was that they expected passengers. Within two days, DS9 would have known their cover story was false, but the Tarkio crew weren't planning to be here then. He wished he knew what they were up to on the station. What was worth killing Li? Another odd thing for Odo was the fact that the Tarkio ripped off the station's docking clamps in its haste to leave. They could have disengaged themselves easily from the station, without causing any loss of life, or damage.

Odo and the others had all assumed that this hasty retreat was done in panic, to get away from a bomb that they'd planted on the station. But what if the panic was a result of something else, of a situation that was completely different?

Yes, of course.

Instead of the Captain's office, Odo went directly over Quark's, where he sought out the bar's owner. Quark was busy carrying a tray of glasses over to the bar when he saw Odo enter.

"Odo, good to see you up and about again," Quark said.

"Thank you, Quark. I just need to ask you some questions about the Tarkio."

Quark waved his hand. "If you're here to ask me about illegal ship registries, you can save your breath. Worf just asked me, and I'll tell you the same thing I told him: I'm out of the loop as far as that thing's concerned." He shuddered with repulsion. "You know, Worf could use a good lesson in manners…but what am I saying? He's a Klingon, after all."

"What about targets of interest on the station for a crew of thieves?" Odo asked. "Not necessarily Starfleet, or Federation…but anything that might come to mind?"

Quark gave him a frown. "You're thinking the Tarkio crew were just common thieves?"

"Perhaps. We've looked at this from the angle of being a Dominion plot, but found nothing. What if the Tarkio crew were simply here to steal something specific? Have you heard of anything being on the station worth stealing?"

Quark shook his head. "No, nothing comes to mind. Ironically, I would have been the one with a valuable shipment of latinum, if not for a deal that went sour."

"What deal?"

"I was trying to sell a shipment of what I thought were Gorn diamonds, but they turned out to be Gorn quartz," Quark said. "I received a very good offer for them, but the buyer abruptly withdrew. I think he might have found out they were nothing more than quartz…which are still pretty to look at, but they're not diamonds, if you get my meaning."
"I take it that you didn't tell the buyer up front that what he was getting was nothing more than worthless quartz?" Odo asked.

"Uh, that might have slipped my mind," Quark replied.

"Yes, just as I might imagine," Odo said, with a shake of his head. "Would you mind if we inspect the quartz right now?"

Once they arrived in the cargo hold, Quark let out a screech of horror at the sight before them. The seals on the container that held the quartz had been broken. Before he let Quark open the container, Odo did a pass over the seals with his tricorder. Sure enough, there was fresh DNA, barely several hours old, that was human in origin. It didn't match any of the Starfleet personnel who presently served aboard the station.

Odo called Captain Sisko, who came down to the cargo hold with Worf and Major Kir--Nerys. When Odo explained the situation to them, Worf merely shrugged and said, "What does this have to do with the situation at hand?"

"Everything," Odo told him. "Instead of being part of a Dominion plot, my belief is that the crew of the Tarkio were merely common thieves who were after Quark's diamonds."

"But they weren't real diamonds," Nerys said.

"Yes, but the crew of the Tarkio didn't know that at the time," Odo replied. "Once they did discover that these were merely common quartz, they fled the station in a panic. Perhaps they thought they were the targets of a sting operation."

"It's a good lead," Sisko said. "But it brings us no closer to finding out where the Tarkio went."

"I have an idea of who I can speak to regarding that," Odo said. He turned to Quark and asked, "Give me the name of your buyer for the Gorn diamonds."

Frelik wasn't a very hard Ferengi to find. He was in his quarters, sound asleep with a Dabo girl in bed, when Odo and his deputies found him. The Dabo girl quickly left the quarters, tucking a few strips of latinum in-between her ample cleavage, as Odo rousted Frelik from his deep slumber.

Once dressed, the Ferengi was roughly manhandled all the way down to Odo's office, where Odo had him placed in a particularly dark and dank looking cell that he liked to use for interrogations.

Odo left Frelik alone in the cell for a solid hour before he even entered the room. And by then, Frelik looked as if he were ready to talk.

"I understand you were engaged in a transaction with Quark, the owner of the bar here on DS9," Odo said, as he slowly walked around Frelik, who sat fidgeting nervously in a chair. "The transaction was over a shipment of diamonds that had been mined from the Gorn home world."

In response, Frelik began to bawl like a baby. "I admit it!" he cried. "I wanted to get the diamonds without having to pay for them, so I set up the heist."

Odo leaned over and glared right into his face. "So you were responsible for the death of one of my deputies, the injuries to several others, as well as the massive damage caused to this station!"

"I had no idea that it would turn out like it did! They were just supposed to steal the diamonds and leave on the next shuttle!" Frelik said.

"Did the Tarkio crew know that what they were stealing were just worthless quartz, Frelik?"

He stared at Odo in shock. "Quartz? It was just quartz?"

Odo stepped back and wearily pressed his fingers against the bridge of his nose. 'It's bad enough that a good woman like Élan Li died as a result of a bunch of common thieves, but now it's obvious that they weren't very good thieves to begin with.'

"Look, I'll make amends to you," Frelik said. "Just name your price…."

"My price is information," Odo said. "I want the whereabouts of the crew of the Tarkio. Give me that, help me to lock them up, and I'll ask for leniency for you."

"You want to know where they are? Easy! They're in the Milacron system," Frelik said with a wave of his hand. "In the southern hemisphere of the fourth planet from the sun. That's their usual hideout after they pull off a job."

After he gave Odo the exact coordinates, Frelik cheerfully asked, "Does this mean I can go, now?"

Odo glared at him. "Can you bring Deputy Élan Li back to life?"

"Um, no…."

"Then that answers your question, now, doesn't it?"

###

The Defiant made swift work of the Tarkio, which they found parked in orbit of the fourth planet in the Milacron system. All it took was one phaser hit to its engines, and the ship--which was the only means of escape for the crew--was dead in the water, so to speak. Then it was a simple matter of beaming down to the planet's surface and rounding up the crewmembers, who were a motley assortment of thieves and scoundrels that Odo had ever seen.

Odo saw why the crew chose this place as their haven after a job; it was a tropical paradise, complete with warm beaches and swaying palm trees that lay right on the edge of a vast ocean. At one point, just after they had rounded up and arrested the Tarkio's crew, Jadzia Dax had turned to Nerys and said, "To hell with Quark's holo-suites! The next time we feel like going for a swim, maybe we should just come here!"

It was on the ride back to DS9, while he interrogated the Tarkio's crew aboard the Defiant, that Odo discovered that a human among them matched the DNA that he found on Quark's container of quartz in the cargo hold. He was a well-worn man in his thirties who, judging from the scars on his face and body, looked as if he'd never missed a fight in his life.

When Odo brought him in for a private interrogation in a room aboard the Defiant, the man, Norco Andres--demanded to know who was going to pay for the damage to the Tarkio, which was being towed behind the Defiant.

"Do you own the Tarkio?" Odo asked him.

"I'm the owner and sole pilot," Andres bragged. "And I intend to file my own charges against Bajor and the Federation once this unlawful arrest is finally resolved."

"Unlawful arrest?" Odo said, as he grew very annoyed. "Mr. Andres, your DNA was on the container of quartz that you and your accomplices tried to steal. Not to mention that pieces of the Deep Space Nine space station are still clinging to the side of your ship! Plus, your boss, Frelik, completely sold you out--oh, I'd say we have a very good case against you."

"Then there's nothing further for us to say to each other," Andres muttered. "I'll see you in court."

"You said you were the owner and sole pilot?" Odo asked. "Were you piloting the ship when it left DS9, taking part of the docking collar with it?"

"No comment."

Odo leaned forward. "Did you know that a young woman, a deputy by the name of Élan Li, died as a direct result of that incident? Oh yes, you're also looking at a murder charge, plus charges of attempted murder, as well."

"Were you there, Constable?" Andres asked.

Odo flinched, as if stung. "No, I wasn't…."

"Too bad," Andres sneered. "Because then you would have been blown into space right along with your little tart girlfriend. And I'd be spared the annoyance of listening to you yammering away right now."

When he looked back on this moment, Odo could not recall exactly when he had lost his temper. But the next thing Odo knew was that he stood up from the table with his hand tightly squeezing Andres' throat with a vise-like grip. Odo had to admit, it was most satisfying to see Andres gasping for air, as his eyes bulged out of their sockets. It was good to make him feel what Li must have felt just before she died.

The door opened, and when Odo glanced back, he saw Worf enter the room. If the Klingon was alarmed by this scene, he did not show it. Instead, he walked over to Odo and gave him an approving nod.

"If you wish," Worf told Odo in a conspiratorial whisper, "I could guard the door for you while you wring the life out of this petaQ. We can then make up a story about how he tried to escape. But we shall have to make sure we can adequately explain his--"

"No!" Odo said, repulsed by the very idea. He immediately released Andres, who fell to the floor with his hands around his neck, gratefully sucking in air. "What you're proposing is horrendous! He shall face proper justice in the court."

Worf merely nodded at him. "Very well, Constable. Shall I escort the prisoner back to the brig?"

"If you would, please, Commander."
Odo went with Worf, just to make certain the Klingon did not do anything untoward to Andres. But the journey back to the brig was uneventful. When they both emerged outside in the cramped corridor, something occurred to Odo. He turned to Worf and said, "Thank you, Commander."

"For what, Constable?"

"For what you did back there," Odo said. "By suggesting we do such a terrible thing as murdering a prisoner and covering it up, you shocked me back into reality. So…thank you."

Yet Worf merely smiled mysteriously as he continued to stroll down the corridor.

"Mr. Worf," Odo said anxiously. "You were just saying those things just to shock me, correct? You didn't really mean what you said back there, did you?"

Now Worf's smile spread into a broad grin. "Excuse me, Constable," he said with a slight bow. "But I am required on the bridge."

A puzzled Odo stared after Worf in the corridor, wondering if he should keep a close eye on the Klingon in the future.

###

A day later…

Odo was pleased that Li's family agreed to have her funeral held on the station. As her mother had commented to him, Li felt that Odo--and everyone else aboard DS9--were her extended family. After the funeral services, the family took the remains back to Bajor, while Li's friends and co-workers on the station met in a conference room that had been cleared for them, with tables set up along the edges that were loaded with food and drink--all supplied by Quark--surprisingly, free of charge.

When Odo saw the Ferengi was busy setting up another platter of food on one of the tables, he took the time to walk over to him. "I must say, Quark, that I'm quite shocked to see you donate your time, along with everything else, for no payment."

Quark shot him an insulted look. "What am I, an ogre? Deputy Élan came into the bar often enough so that I got to know her, too."

Odo held up a hand. "I meant no offense."

"Well, good," Quark said, as he calmed down. "Besides, I feel like this is partially my fault, anyway. After all, she was killed because of that stupid container filled with quartz."

"You can't be blamed for what happened, Quark."

"Maybe not, but I felt like this was the least I could do."

Odo gave him an approving nod. "It's much appreciated, Quark."

Quark stared at him fearfully. "You're not gonna hug me, or anything, are you?"

Odo folded his arms and shook his head. "No, Quark, I am not going to hug you…."

"Good," Quark muttered with a relieved look. "I was starting to think you were getting soft on me, Constable."

"I wouldn't count on that ever happening, either, Quark."

Odo mingled with the guests; while somber, the occasion still felt somewhat like a party as people joyfully remembered the life of Élan Li. He was pleased to see the entire command staff was there, along with those of his deputies who were off duty. Odo was even pleasantly surprised to see Jake Sisko and Cassidy Yates, as well as Keiko O'Brien. He took condolences from them all, and reminisced with them over the happy times spent with Li--yet there was one person whom Odo did not see here, and she was the last he'd expected to be absent.

Then he saw her standing at one of the windows, staring out into space.

Odo walked up beside Nerys and when he saw that she had been crying, he asked, "Are you all right?"

"No," Nerys said, with a slight smile. "But that's how I'm supposed to feel, right?"

He nodded. "I want to thank you, Nerys, for your help in setting up the services."

"It was my pleasure," she replied. "I'm a little surprised, Odo. I never thought you were very religious."

"No, I'm not religious at all," he said. "But Li was, intensely so. And by arranging a formal service of her faith, I wanted to properly honor her memory."

"Oh, Odo, that's so touching!" Nerys said, as her eyes welled up with tears. "Look at me, here I go again! I haven't been able to stop crying all day."

"It's grief, Nerys," Odo told her. "I should know, because I feel the same way. And, as someone very wise and intelligent once told me, there's nothing wrong with it."

Nerys smiled up at him with deep affection as she took his hand into hers. They both stood there for a time, hand in hand, as they silently gazed at the wondrous beauty of the stars beyond the window.

The End