Refugee Part 18
by Kathy P
Julian's smiled when he saw Garak enter the station's infirmary, but it promptly faltered when he saw the troubled look on his husband's face. Moving over to his side, Julian reached out and laid a hand on the older man's arm. Glancing around the crowded room, he came to a quick decision. With a tug, he pulled Garak into his office, closing the door to give them some privacy.
Pushing the older man down to sit in his chair, Julian sat on the desk in front of him, taking both of Garak's hands in his.
"Elim," he said simply, looking into the sad blue eyes. "What happened?"
"I saw my mother today, Julian."
Blinking in surprise, Julian said, "You saw your mother today? What do you mean, Elim?"
Garak gently withdrew one hand from Julian's grasp. Reaching into his pocket he pulled out a silver locket and placed it in Julian's empty hand. "Open it."
Letting go of Garak's other hand, Julian silently opened the locket. A wave of blue-green light poured from the locket as the hologram programed into it sprung to life. Julian stared in astonishment as an image of a smiling Cardassian woman cuddling a small child on her lap formed in front of him. Reaching up with a curious finger, he touched the image, causing it to waver.
"This is your mother?" Julian said as he looked up into his husband's eyes again.
"Yes, it is," Garak replied, introspectively. "I hardly remember her, but she was my mother."
Both men looked down at the hologram, staring at it, before Garak reached forward and gently closed the locket. Wrapping his fist around it, he held it up to his chest. "This is all I have left of her."
With a sympathetic noise, Julian leaned forward, pulling his husband into an embrace. One of Garak's arms came around him, holding on tight to the younger man, while the other hand remained clasped around the locket, between them.
They embraced in silence for a moment, before Julian said, "Where did you get the locket from? Larin?"
Garak shook his head slightly. "No, Tremane gave it to me." With a soft sigh he continued, "I use to know him you know. Tremane that is. He was my mother's advisor. I actually remember more about him right now than her."
Julian pulled back to look into Garak's eyes. Raising one hand, he placed it on the side of the older man's face. "You'll remember more in time, Elim. I'm sure of it. Just a week ago you didn't remember any of your real childhood, but now things are starting to come back to you."
Reaching up, Garak gently grabbed Julian's hand from off his face, bringing it to his lips for a kiss. With a soft smile he said, "I've always admired your optimism, Julian."
"Well, just don't admire it this time. Believe it, Elim."
With another soft sigh, Garak looked down at his closed fist, opening it to look at the silver locket again. "I don't think I have any other choice but to believe, Julian."
"What was her name?"
"Elimnea Garak."
Julian smiled. "You were named after her," he said, pointing out the obvious.
"There's more. Remember how Tremane was telling up about the Gul'ena Riel of Hebitia?"
Julian nodded his head, "Yes. He was telling us about how she had died many years ago.." he trailed off, a shocked look landing on his face. "You don't mean to tell me that your mother was the Gul'ena Riel!"
"She is, was the Gul'ena Riel of Hebitia, and was murdered while I slept in the other room," Garak replied, his face tightening with anger as he thought of his younger self stumbling into her bedroom to be greeting by the horrifying sight of his dead mother's body.
"Oh, Elim," Julian said compassionately, he heart aching as he listened to his husband's old terror.
Looking into Julian's eyes, he laughed bitterly. "I found her body. That's one of the only memories I have of her, you know. Enabren Tain, my father," he spitted out in disgust, "was the one who murdered her. When I ran into the room, he grabbed me. I tried to fight but he knocked me out. After that I was his son only. I don't know what he did, but all my memories of Hebitia and my mother were taken away."
Julian started to reply when one of his assistant's voice came over the com-system, stopping him. With an irritated look at the interruption he responded.
"Dr. Bashir, the results of the bio-molecular scans are complete. I think that you're going to want to see the results right away.
Garak waved Julian's concerned look away when he hesitated to get up from the desk. "Go take a look, Julian."
With an apologetic look, Julian stood up and moved out into the infirmary.
Garak rose from the chair and wandered around the small room, before his curiosity made him leave and follow after his husband. Spotting the younger man standing with one of his technicians over by a computer terminal, Garak made is way over to them. He ignored the annoyed looks that some of Julian's Bajoran assistants threw at him.
Coming up behind his husband, he stood off to one side to avoid getting in his way. Julian spared him a quick glance, before turning his attention back to the technician's report.
"Here are the results of the DNA scanned of the sample that was found down in the lower levels," Julian's technician said. "I've run the scan numerous times now and it always comes to the same conclusion. That's Cardassian DNA that was found, well it belongs to a five-year-old male."
Julian turned back to look at Garak, both of them looking shocked.
"Marin," Garak ground out, a look of anger settling on his face. He thought back to the little Hebitian boy's attack yesterday. Raw anger rising in him at the brutality show to Larin's son.
"That's the only one it could be," Julian confirmed. Reaching up, he tapped his combadge. "Dr. Bashir to Captain Sisko."
"What is it, doctor?"
"We've found that source of the Cardassian DNA that was found by the computer in the lower levels. It was from Gul'en Larin's son, Marin. That must be where he was attacked yesterday."
Garak fought with his anger as listened to Julian report his findings. An old feeling of protectiveness rose in him.
///"Elim. Come here, love."
Garak laid down the book he had been reading as his mother called to him. Looking up, he saw her standing by the large window the overlooked the city below. Moving to her side, he smiled when one of her arms came around his shoulder, holding him close.
"Yes, mother?"
"Elim. Look down below. What do you see?"
Looking out the window he saw the familiar sight of the city spreading out before him. "I see the city."
"What else?"
Tilting his head to one side, Garak narrowed his eyes in concentration. "People?"
"Yes," she said softly, squeezing his shoulder. "Those are our people, Elim. Our family had been bound to them since time was recorded."
Garak blinked at that statement. "Bound?" he questioned, still looking down at the city.
Gul'ena Riel Elimnea Garak turned to look down at her son. Placing a hand under her son's chin, she turned his head toward her. "It is our duty to look out for our people's best interest, Elim. The people support us, and we support the people."
Garak looked at her, confused.
Elimnea chuckled softly. "Dear, Elim. Don't worry. You'll understand in time. Just always remember that it is your duty to look after our people, no matter who it is."
Garak smiled confidently up at his mother. "I can do that."///
Raising a hand to his temple, Garak shook of the memory that had claimed him.
Now he understood what Tremane has been telling him earlier. The older man had tried to tell him about the bond between the Hebitians and their leader. The choice of how he could deal with his knowledge of the past was his alone, but as he remembered more it became clear that there was really no choice at all.
Loud sounds outside of the infirmary effectively broke through Garak's thoughts. Curious as to what was going on, he threw a quick glance over at Julian, but saw that he was still talking with Captain Sisko.
Slipping out of the infirmary, Garak was surprise at the crowd that had gathered. Walking behind the people, he looked for a spot where he could see what was going on. Seeing a place where the crowd had thinned, he pushed past the spectators, only to stop in shock at the sight that greeted him.
A very angry looking Larin in gelcuffs was being led by two tall Bajoran guards. With a puzzled look on his face, Garak started to move forward toward them just as Larin came to a stop. The younger man's face was alarmed as he looked off into the crowd. Following Larin's gaze, Garak cursed as he saw the blaster being pointed at the Hebitian.
)*()*()*()*()*()*()*(
Odo looked grim as he listened to Captain Sisko's conversation with Dr. Bashir. The two men were in the turbolift, heading to the promenade to intercept the security guards that had taken Larin into custody.
Standing silently, Odo turned over the facts in his head, reviewing the events of the past few days. Working for the Cardassians had taught him that nothing ever seemed like it looked.
The fact that it was Marin's DNA that was found down at the crime scene confirmed, in his own mind, that the Hebitians probably had nothing to do with the security breach. While he had to admit to the possibility of one of the Hebitians being involved, his instincts were telling him that they weren't.
He had studied the way the Hebitians interacted with each other. The protective way they watched their children and the way they treated each other, directly conflicted with the kind of anger that was shown in Marin's attack.
No, there had to been something else happening that he couldn't see. Odo had always been suspicious of crimes that seemed cut and dry.
Odo turned his attention back to Captain Sisko as he signed off with Dr. Bashir. "I think that the Hebitians are being set up," Odo said bluntly as the turbolift came to a stop and the door slid open.
Captain Sisko studied the Changeling's face for a moment. "I have to agree with you, Constable. There's definitely more going on that we're not aware of here."
Stepping out of the lift, the men paused as they took in the large crowd before them. With a frown, Captain Sisko started to order people out of his way as he pushed his way through.
Odo craned his neck around, looking for some of his security teams to help disperse the crowd. Following behind Captain Sisko, he ordered the gatherers to leave the promenade.
As they made their way through the crowd, Odo spotted Garak coming out of the infirmary, a look of anger on his face. He tried to make his way over to him, but the crowd flowed between them, cutting him off.
Grabbing people and shoving them out of the way, he continued to order them off the promenade. A small break in the crowd opened and he spotted Garak staring at something in shock. He quickly made his way over to the Cardassian when the yelling began.
)*()*()*()*()*()*()*(
Larin stopped in shock as the purple robed figure pushed its way through the crowd. His eyes focused on the blaster that was pointed directly at his chest.
"What are you doing?" he shouted at the shrouded figure.
"I'm getting my revenge! Because of you, she's dead!" yelled a man's voice. Larin's eye's narrowed as he recognized that voice.
"Tran," he yelled back at him. "I had nothing to do with Tre'ela's death."
"Liar!" Tran said as he pushed the hood back on his purple robe. His brown hair was disheveled and his eyes held a vast anger.
Larin watched in horror as Tran straightened his arm to fired his blaster. A hard push shoved him out of the way, causing him to fall to the ground. His long black hair fell over his face, blocking his view of what was happening. Tossing his head, he flipped his hair over his shoulder. Looking over, Larin saw one of the guards that had arrested him, on his knees, clutching at his badly burned and bleeding arm.
Cursing the gelcuffs that encircled his wrists, Larin pushed himself up from the ground. He knew that he was an easy target for the mad man.
A shout of anger caused both Tran and Larin to look up to the higher level of the promenade. They could see Marrett rushing along the railing heading toward the stairs that would bring him to the lower level. The burning fury in his eyes could be seen even from that distance.
Laughing, Tran pointed the blaster at Marrett. "You took away someone I love, you bastard," he spit at Larin. "Maybe I should return the favor!"
"No!" Larin yelled in anguish as he rushed at Tran, his trapped hands held in front of him.
Tran quickly swung the blaster around, smashing it into Larin's cheek, the impact flinging him away.
Seeing the other Bajoran security guard go for his phaser, Tran rested the barrel of the gun against the stunned Hebitian's temple. "Put it down," he ordered.
Holding his hands wide, the Bajoran guard slowly knelt, placing the phaser on the floor.
"Kick it over here," he ordered. The phaser slid across the floor, coming to a rest by Tran's boot. Bending down, he quickly picked it up. Turning, he pointed the phaser at Marrett, who had pushed his way through the rapidly thinning crowd.
Larin moaned, opening his eyes and froze when he felt the barrel of the blaster resting against his face. Looking up at Tran, he recoiled from the look of hatred on his face. The man was totally insane.
"I didn't kill your sister," Larin said softly, trying without much hope to reason with him.
"You did!" Tran shouted back at him. "She wasn't suppose to be on that ship. You made her get on it!"
Larin's eyes widened as the implications of what Tran said sunk into his foggy mind. "You blew up the Etpeak? You're the one responsible for your own sister's death!"
"No! Tre'ela wasn't suppose to be on board! I had to blow up the ship to prove that you're a danger to us all. I should have killed your little brat when I had the chance, then you would know the pain I'm feeling now."
A look of cold anger settled on Larin and Marrett's face. "You fucking bastard," Larin snarled, trying to rise. "You're the one who hurt Marin."
Tran laughed nastily, shoving the smaller man down again with his gun. "He was where he had no right to be. None of you have the right to be here!" he said, his blue eyes narrowed in zeal. "But that's all going to change now."
)*()*()*()*()*()*()*(
The sound of a blaster rifle being fired met Captain Sisko as he finally pushed through the now panicking crowd. He watched in disbelief as a Bajoran guard went down, howling as he clutched his injured arm.
Reaching for his own phaser he watched as Marrett ran down the stairs that joined the two levels of the promenade only to stop when a phaser was pointed at him. Flicking his phaser to stun, he pointed it at the man holding Gul'en Larin and Marrett at gun point.
Insane blue eyes flashed over at him.
"Drop it, Captain," Tran growled as he nudged Larin with his weapon again. "You have five-seconds before I blow his head off."
Sisko cursed as he flung the weapon down. "Give yourself up," he ordered the smirking man. "There is no where for you to go."
Tran's smirk grew larger. "Who said I wanted to go anywhere? I don't expect to get out of this alive."
Seeing a flicker of movement behind Tran, Sisko flashed a glance over the Bajoran's shoulder. He watched as Garak, crouched low to the ground, crept up slowly behind Tran. Quickly composing himself as too not give away the Cardassian's movement, he turned his attention back to Tran. If only he could keep him distracted.
Tran's eyes darted in all direction, trying to keep an eye on all the threats around him. He never noticed Garak, as he made his way over to him.
From his position on the floor, Larin could see Garak coming up behind Tran. Locking eyes for a moment, Larin saw Garak's gaze move to the arm that held the phaser pointer at Marrett, before flicking back to make eye contact with him again.
Nodding slightly to let Garak know what he had planned, Larin tensed his body, getting ready to move.
With a loud yell, Garak spun into action. A quick chop of his arm knocked the phaser out of Tran's arm, dealing a numbing blow. Larin quickly rolled out of the way, just as Tran's finger pushed the trigger, scarring the metal deck where Larin had just been.
Jumping to his feet, Larin swung his captured fists around, slamming it into Tran's side, making the other man stumble. He ducked as the blaster came swinging at him, falling back as he lost his balance. Two big hands grabbed him from behind, steadying him. Looking over his shoulders, he stared into the eyes of his husband. The sound of the blaster going off brought their heads around again to look.
With a wild shout, Tran lunged at Garak. Bringing his blaster around, he pointed it at the Cardassian, preparing to fire. Larin broke free from Marrett's grasp, ignoring his husband's cry of warning. Rushing forward, he pushed Garak out of the way when the bolt of energy caught him in the left shoulder.
Agony burned into Larin, as he fell, panting to the floor. He couldn't hear Marrett's cry of anger over the pounding in his ears. Fighting of the blackness that threatened to take him, Larin forced his eyes open.
Relief poured over him as he watched Odo move over to Tran, using his changeling abilities to wrest the blaster away from the crazed man. Tran broke free for a moment, but was sent crashing to the ground as a phaser bolt hit him, stunning him into unconsciousness.
Closing his eyes, Larin could feel gentle hands gather him into an embrace. His eyes fluttered open to look into the worried face of his husband, and he managed a small smile before he passed out.
)*()*()*()*()*()*()*(
With a gasp, Larin came awake, reaching up to clutch at his now healed shoulder. A soothing hand brushed his hair back from his face.
"Open your eyes, Larin."
Opening his eyes, he looked into the solemn blue eyes of his husband. Reaching out, he grabbed one of his hands, worried. "Is everyone alright? Garak.."
"I'm fine, Larin. In fact, I'm better off than you right now," came the dry response. Looking over at the other side of his bed, Larin saw Garak standing beside Julian. His parents, Tremane and Larinea, were there as well. He noticed that all of them where looking at him with amused concern.
With a groan, Larin pushed himself into a sitting position, noticing for the first time that he was in the station's infirmary. Marrett slid onto the bed behind him, pulling him hard against his chest, his arms encircling him.
"What happened? Where's Tran? Are you sure everyone is alright? Did you find..."
Larin's questions were stopped when Marrett put a finger against his lips. "At least we know that Marin comes by it honestly," Marrett said chuckling as Larin tried to continue with his questions. The crowd gathered around them laughed. Larin glared over his shoulder at his husband, but softened when he saw the signs of stress still lingering in his handsome face.
Garak cleared his throat. "Belan Tran is in custody as we speak, Larin, along with Heb Kirat. It seems that Minister Garrett attache was responsible for bringing Tran back onto the station."
"I knew I didn't like him," Larin said, remembering uncomfortable feeling he always had around the man. "Was there anyone else involved?"
Garak looked at Julian, who shrugged his shoulders. "Well, I suspect that Kai Winn might have been involved but there is no proof. Neither Tran nor Heb will confess to her part in this, but we do know that Tran came aboard on her ship. It seems that a Bajoran dock worker remembered seeing an extra member in the Kai's party that can't be accounted for. Of course, she denies all knowledge of this." With a roll of his eyes he continued. "She has also sent her official apology for ordering your arrest, and hopes that you will understand that she was just trying to protect the inhabitants of this station. She also says that she is glad to hear of your complete recovery."
No one in the room believed that for a moment.
Tremane stepped over to his sons bedside. "There's more, Larin. I've heard from the Governor of Golana."
Larin looked hopefully at his father. "And?"
Tremane smiled widely, his delight plain for all to see. "The offer to resettle on Golana has been reinstated. I have already sent out word to the other Hebitian's ships to head over there."
Larin grinned and grabbed onto Marrett's arms. "I can't believe it!" he said happily. "What happened to the protest? I didn't think there was anyway that we would be allowed to settle there."
Garak responded to this. "It seems that the protest has evaporated ever since what happened here was broadcasted on the Federation net. With all the effort you put into helping the war effort, well, let's just say you are in very good order with the Federation right now."
Larin's mind spun as all the implications sunk in. Leaning back against his husband, he tried to organize his thoughts. With a small gasp he looked at his father, then Garak, then back at his father again. "What about," he began weakly.
Garak moved forward until he stood by Tremane at his bedside. "I remember now, Larin," he said in explanation.
Larin's eyes widened as he saw the silver locket lying on Garak's chest. With a soft smile, he looked up into his Gul'en Riel's eyes. "Welcome back," he said simply.
Garak returned his smile. "Thank you."
Turning to his wife, Tremane pulled her to his side. "Larinea and I are going to be leaving for Golana shortly. We wanted to be here when you woke to let you know that everything was fine."
Larin looked from Tremane to Garak. "You're going to Golana? But I would have thought that.."
Garak interrupted the younger man again. "No, Larin. It's not time for me yet. I have so much that I have to remember, and right now my life is here with Julian."
Larin looked down in disappointment.
"But, I do have to relearn a lot of thing, Larin. That's why you will be staying here with me. I need a teacher more than anything right now."
Looking up again, Larin's jaw dropped open. Marrett laughed again, and reached up to close his husband's mouth. "Who would be better to teach Garak what, he needs to know to govern again, Larin."
Julian stepped forward, putting an arm around Garak's waist. "Captain Sisko has already authorized everything, Larin. I think that he and Odo are still in shock over the fact that Garak is royalty. Quark is positively fawning over him already."
Garak rolled his eyes at that. "You're also allowed to have as big a group as you deem necessary, to help you out on the station. Jalli, Alieana, Mirell, Nieret and Elie," he said, ticking the names off on his fingers, "have already volunteered to stay."
Looking around at all the expectant faces looking at him, Larin broke out into a huge grin. "Well, it seems that you all have everything in order. Who am I to fight it?" he said cheekily.
Garak laughed again, a truly pleasant sound Larin thought. "That's a good boy, Larin," he said, pulling Julian tight against him. The doctor looked at his husband, love and pride shining in his brown eyes.
Larin raised an eye ridge as he looked at the grinning couple. Now, if only he could find a way to talk them into continuing the Gul'en Reil line. A slow smile graced his lips as he thought back to the dinner they shared not to long ago and the look of awe in Garak's eyes as he held on Megwyn. Hmmm, maybe it wouldn't take to much convincing at all.
Snuggling into Marrett's embrace, he started to plot ways to bring up the topic of conversation in the near future.
The End.
Heler palis, heler geran. Stanis bael, stanis ferran. --- Live happy, live long. Stay true, stay free.
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