Dukat sneered. “I understand why I was sent here now. You’ve become comfortable and hidebound, like the Bajorans. What’s needed here is boldness.” He shot Kell a hard look. “ Temerity,Jagul.”
Kell came to his feet. “You insubordinate whelp! How dare you stand before me and judge my orders! You will respect my rank and do as I command you!”
“I understand these aliens. I’ve seen how they think, how they feel and what they want.” Unbidden, memories surfaced in his thoughts. On the battlements of the Naghai Keep on the eve of the great feast. Dukat and the lawman, Darrah, talking as two men, nothing more; then again, in the corridors of the castle, as hate filled him and the need to take Hadlo’s life burned in his skin.The Bajoran’s words came back to in him a flash of insight. We’re a passionate people. We get so angry about things we lose focus on everything else.“The Bajorans hold grudges forever,” he told them. “They nurture them like their children. All we need to do to blindside these people is to bring them to rage. You only made them afraid. We need to make them furious.” Dukat leaned forward and picked up a padd from the jagul’s desk. On it was a report of two Bajoran warships that had recently departed the star system. The raw anger he had felt when he entered the room waned, replaced by a colder, more controlled resentment. They were forming a pact here, he realized. Without open words or accords, Dukat, Ico, and Kell were opening the way to the fall of an entire civilization. For the good of Cardassia. For Athra and my family.
“I know exactly how to do it,” he told them.
STAR TREK ®TEROK NOR
DAY OF THE VIPERS
2318-2328
James Swallow
Based upon STAR TREK created by
Gene Rodenberry,
and STAR TREK: DEEP SPACE NINE ®,
created by Rick Berman and Michael Piller
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Cover art by John Picacio
ISBN-13: 978-1-4165-9176-4
ISBN-10: 1-4165-9176-1
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For my parents,
who showed me the way to the stars
Contents
Dramatis Personae
OCCUPATION DAY ZERO
Prologue
TEN YEARS AGO
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
FIVE YEARS AGO
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
ONE MONTH AGO
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
OCCUPATION DAY TWENTY
Epilogue
Appendices
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Dramatis Personae
Arin(Bajoran male) priest, aide to Kai Meressa
Bennek(Cardassian male) a priest of the Oralian Way
Coldri Senn(Bajoran male) a high-ranking Militia officer
Cotor(Bajoran male) a senior vedek at the Kendra Monastery
Darrah Mace(Bajoran male) officer of the Korto City Watch
Darrah Karys(Bajoran female) wife of Darrah Mace
Procal Dukat(Cardassian male) archon in the Cardassian military justice system and father of Skrain Dukat
Skrain Dukat(Cardassian male) officer in the Cardassian military
Els Renora(Bajoran female) public defender for the Korto Justice Department
Gar Osen(Bajoran male) priest, resident of Korto District
Hadlo(Cardassian male) senior priest of the Oralian Way
Rhan Ico(Cardassian female) non-military xenologist
Jaro Essa(Bajoran male) senior Militia officer
Jas Holza(Bajoran male) Korto District administrator and member of the Chamber of Ministers
Jekko Tybe(Bajoran male) adjutant for Minister Keeve Falor, former partner of Darrah Mace
Keeve Falor(Bajoran male) member of the Chamber of Ministers
Danig Kell(Cardassian male) high-ranking officer in the Cardassian military
Kubus Oak(Bajoran male) member of the Chamber of Ministers