From Cardassia With Love

Spectre

            "Alright everybody, looks like we're approaching the station." Commander Sisko announced in relief as Deep Space Nine finally came within range of the viewscreen. Dax, Kira, Akkad, Worf (well, not so much Worf), and O'Brien cheered in weary applause from behind him.

"Never thought I'd miss that Cardassian hunk-of-junk." Major Kira snorted aloud as Dax gave her a friendly shove on the shoulder.

"Oy there major, I do not work day and night to keep that station running for its first officer to call it uh, uh, a hunk-of-junk." O'Brien attempted to feign seriousness, but his smile betrayed him.

"Yeah Kira, if the chief took a break for so much as five minutes, the entire station would spontaneously explode." Akkad was a little more practiced in the art of sarcasm and managed to keep her voice neutral.

"Hah-Ha!" Kira shouted and flung her hand sloppily at Akkad in an attempt at a high-five. Akkad had introduced the human custom to her a few weeks ago but based on how many times the major missed the mark, it clearly was not as intuitive as the doctor had originally thought. Commander Sisko had turned his chair around to face the other officers and was characteristically amused by their interaction.

"We're still working on that." The doctor put an arm around Kira's shoulders and the two burst into a fit of laughter, the major seemingly self-aware of the miscommunication. From the row of seats opposite the two of them, Worf crossed his arms over his chest and huffed, apparently, he was not so easily entertained.

"As I was saying..." Sisko continued, his voice as warm and paternal as always, "we'll be docking in about five minutes. Chief O'Brien, you may prepare to dock."

"Aye, sir." O'Brien turned his chair back toward the pilot's console and started running the required pre-docking systems diagnostics. Akkad managed to catch her breath and let go of the major before leaning across her toward Dax.

"I wonder how Julian's been managing at the infirmary without me." Akkad had worried continuously since the runabout had departed for the conference about how her younger co-chief of medical would fare on his own.

"He's probably been counting down the minutes until you get back," Dax said as she leaned back into her chair.

Julian at that moment was snogging a blond bombshell of a holosuite character when Garak just so happened to stroll in.

"Brava, Doctor. Well done!" The suit-clad Cardassian swayed casually as he avoided the shards of glad scattered across the floor. Bashir wondered for a moment if he had imagined that suave voice, but as he glanced from the corner of his eye and saw a figure approaching him from the doorway, his fears were confirmed. He pulled away from the woman and threw his head back in exasperation. She seemed to lose interest quickly and sashayed out of the room.

"Garak, what are you doing here?" Bashir snarled at him as he put down the broken bottle of wine he still had in his hand and adjusted his suit jacket.

"I wanted to see what you were up to in here." The Cardassian perused the room as he spoke, trampling over debris and what Bashir thought of as his right to privacy. "For the last week, it seems you've been spending every free hour engaging in this holosuite program, and yet you have told no one what it is."

"But this is something private and- Wait, why did Quark even let you in here, I only reserved the time slot for one person?" Bashir tilted his head in confusion.

"I never said he did," Garak responded before abandoning his examination of the surroundings and turning back toward Bashir. "But never mind me, doctor. Please continue this little fantasy of yours, I will observe from afar. Bashir sighed and rubbed his forehead.