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Date: Sun, 16 May 2004 20:44:37 -0500
Subject: [ASCEM-S] NEW: 8/8 A Slight Case of Blackmail (DS9-G/B-NC17)
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Title:   A Slight Case of Blackmail
Author:  Kathryn Ramage
Series:  DS9
Codes:   G/B  
Rating:  NC17 
Part:    8/8

See Part 1 for summary, disclaimer, etc.

|~5~|

The next morning, the news that spread around DS9 was not about
Councilor Renavik's arrest--that information was being suppressed
--but that Gul Dukat had left the station mysteriously in the 
middle of the night.  The Cardassia dignitaries he had brought to 
the conference were furious, wondering how they were going to find 
alternate transport home.  Others wondered what had caused Dukat 
to leave so abruptly without a word.

But Julian thought he knew.  When he met Garak for breakfast at 
the Replimat, he opened the conversation with, "I want you tell me 
what you were up to after you left me last night. You went to see 
Dukat, didn't you?"

"Actually, I went to see Pridem Amat first," Garak replied cheer-
fully after a sip of rokassa juice.  "I thought he would be able 
to confirm a few theories I had developed."

"Did he?"

"Oh, yes.  It seems that Dukat not only conveyed Amat here, but 
he brought Hirkus and Councilor Renavik as well.  And that was not 
the only thing all three had in common.  When I asked him, Pridem 
admitted that he had known of you, and of our relationship, before 
he arrived on Deep Space Nine.  Dukat told him."

"Dukat told Renavik about me!" the doctor exclaimed, beginning to 
understand.  "Renavik said so last night.  And Hirkus too?"  He
laughed.  "I _knew_ it was Dukat all along!  When I said it was 
odd that there were so many strange Cardassians suddenly interested 
in me--was that what made you realize that he was the one respon-
sible?" 

Garak nodded.  "You were right: there were too many apparently 
unconnected people involved for it to be coincidence.  It occurred 
to me that our supposed extortionist, instead of keeping his 
information to himself, was disseminating it.  Guls like Dukat, 
who conveyed so many of our guests here, would be in a prime 
position to gossip, and Dukat himself has always been at the 
top of our list of suspects.  Plus, he knows this station and 
its inhabitants quite well.

"Pridem confirmed that Dukat had mentioned you to several people 
during their journey, either--in his own case--in connection to 
me, or to men like Renavik and Hirkus.  Both were involved in 
scandals with Bajoran boys.  Renavik, you know about.  But Hirkus 
also came under suspicion when his Bajoran lover was discovered 
to be a member of the Resistance.  Pridem reminded me of that.  
If Dukat recalled these old scandals--as I assume he did--he'd 
naturally conclude that they would be interested in a...promising 
prospect on DS9."

"If they were looking for a bit of sexual entertainment with a 
human," Bashir translated.  Then he stopped and stared at Garak, 
eyes wide.  "You don't think Dukat _showed_ them that video file?"

"I can't be certain.  But he will not show it to anyone else.  
With Pridem's assistance, I convinced him to destroy all copies 
of that file and leave the station immediately. I resorted to 
extortion--which seems appropriate under the circumstances, don't 
you agree?  There are certain secrets that Dukat would not want 
his colleagues, nor his wife and family, to find out about."

"What secrets?" asked Bashir.  "Come on, Garak--you can't throw 
out a juicy hint like that and leave me hanging.  Tell."

"If you insist."  After this successful display of his detective 
skills, the tailor was in a good mood and ready to be generous.  
"Remember, I told you that improprieties with Bajorans were all 
too common during the Occupation.  Dukat never took an interest 
in boys as far as I know, but he did show a notable predilection 
for Bajoran women.  During his prefecture, he kept an opulent 
number of mistresses.  So much is common knowledge.  But there 
was one woman in particular... If she, and her half-Cardassian 
child, were known about, it would be Dukat's ruin."

"Gul Dukat's fathered-" Julian began in amazement.

Garak nodded.  "And if he is any further trouble to us, that 
information will be made public.  Pridem will see to that." 

It occurred to Bashir that he didn't know just who Pridem Amat 
was nor what he was doing here.  The man appeared to be a civilian, 
and was not attending the conference in an official capacity.  Nor 
was he one of the Kardasi news service personnel.  He seemed to 
possess some extremely personal information about several high-
ranking Cardassians, and he and Garak had known each other for 
years...  "Is Amat in the Obsidian Order?" he asked.

"Merely an old friend who was glad to be of help," Garak replied 
vaguely.  "However, in exchange for his assistance, I'm afraid 
he may be expecting you to be more cooperative if he visits us 
again-"

"Elim!"

"But we will just have to disappoint him," he finished with a 
broad smile, to let Julian know that he was joking.  "Haven't I 
told you?  I am quite selfish where my human is concerned.  I 
hope that this incident has given you enough proof of _that_."

~*~

Renavik was released later that morning and sent back to 
Cardassia to face whatever reprisals he might from his own 
government.  Arrangements for transport were made for him and 
the other delegates who had been stranded by Dukat and, by 
midday, DS9 was quiet again.  After the last of the Bajoran 
and Cardassian visitors had departed, Garak went up to Sisko's 
office to give him a full recounting of events.

"...And once I realized what Dukat intended, the sudden pro-
liferation of unlikely suspects made sense," the tailor concluded.  
"I don't believe he meant to contact either Dr. Bashir or myself 
directly, even if he couldn't help taunting the poor doctor with 
his knowledge, as he did in the Infirmary.  It's my theory that 
he planned instead to remain at a safe distance and send others 
the doctor's way--to let them do all the work and to take all 
the blame."

Sisko had listened to Garak's report without interruption.  Now, 
he sat with his fingers steepled and focused on the tips of them 
contemplatively as he mulled over everything he had heard.

"If that was his intention," he asked, "why send that datarod to 
me?"  His eyes lifted to regard the tailor seated on the other 
side of the desk.  "The one thing I still can't figure out is 
_how_ and _when_ he had the opportunity to leave it here."

Garak met his gaze steadily for a long minute before he answered,  
"Dukat didn't send you that datarod, Commander."

"_You_ sent it?"  Sisko had had his suspicions about this for some 
time.

"It's a copy of the one I received," Garak confirmed.  "I'm afraid 
I've misled you, Commander Sisko-"

"Why am I not surprised..."

"I let you think that extortion was our culprit's goal, when I 
already knew that this was not the case," the Cardassian continued 
over this murmured aside.  "You see, the datarod that was sent to 
me contained no message.  No threats were made, no requests for 
information, no descriptions of tasks that must be performed--
none of the things I would have expected to find if I were being 
blackmailed.  I could only form one conclusion: that the person 
who had been monitoring me, and who had sent this video recording, 
did not intend to make demands.  He wanted me to be aware that 
he knew of my relationship with the doctor.  As Dr. Bashir has 
already informed you, Cardassians are intensely curious about 
humans.  He was very fortunate last night.  I don't believe, even 
now, that he fully realizes what form that interest would take.  
_I_ saw it at once.  I understood what we were being threatened 
with, and I realized that I was in no position to protect the 
doctor adequately.  And so I came to you for assistance."

"Couldn't you have just asked?"

"I didn't know if you would believe me.  You might think it was 
some sort of trick, and not appreciate the danger the doctor was 
in until it was too late.  Besides, I needed to draw the sender 
out.  I had my suspects, but _you_ have resources at your disposal 
that I do not.  I couldn't have gained access to information on 
all the Cardassian delegates who were coming here--not without 
making a considerable and somewhat risky effort.  I certainly 
would not have been kept apprised of the security arrangements 
for this conference, and I couldn't have asked Odo to watch over 
Dr. Bashir.  I couldn't have the doctor stay in _my_ quarters 
without drawing attention.  Of course, I was averse to having 
our relationship exposed..."

Sisko was doubtful; in spite of Garak's professed reluctance, he 
was certain that the Cardassian was not very upset at revealing 
the relationship--at least, not to him.  While he believed that 
Garak was telling the truth about the reasons for turning to him 
to launch the investigation, Sisko also suspected that the tailor 
had wanted him to know that Bashir was _his_.  Perhaps he had 
even taken a sort of perverse pleasure in demonstrating the fact 
in such graphic detail.

"I might have done something to put a stop to it," the commander 
told Garak grimly, almost as a threat.

"You might have, but I didn't think you would," Garak pleasantly 
called his bluff.  "As I told you at the beginning, Commander: I 
knew I could rely on you to protect Dr. Bashir, no matter what."

|~end~|

Kathryn Ramage                           kramage@erols.com
/~*~//~*~//~*~//~*~//~*~//~*~//~*~//~*~//~*~//~*~//~*~//~*~/ 
"It's about Garak...I'm afraid this relationship has gotten 
a little out of hand."
                                - Dr. Bashir, Past Prologue



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