Dukat snapped off his monitor, irritated by the thought that he might share some characteristics with the man.

“Your phantom,” offered Pa’Dar, indicating the padd. “I ran a full diagnostic on the Kashai’s sensors and I concluded that it was not, as your officers suspected, a reflection from the freighter’s poorly shielded reactor core.”

Dukat’s eyes narrowed. The intermittent sensor contact had been plaguing them since they entered the Bajor Sector, appearing at the fringes of the frigate’s detection range, hazing in and out at odd intervals. With Pa’Dar’s contingent of experts from the science ministry on board as passengers, the commander had decided to make use of them and turn the civilians to the problem. He made a mental note to reprimand his scan officer for failing to come to the same conclusion. “It’s a ship.”

Pa’Dar nodded. “Given what can be determined by its course, motion, and energy patterns, I would hazard a guess that the vessel is Tzenkethi in origin.”

“That would fit a profile,” Dukat allowed. “They’re known to be active in this region. It’s most likely a scout, pacing us to see if we might make good prey for a raid.” His fingers tightened on the padd. A Tzenkethi scoutship was an agile opponent, but the Kashaiwas well armed and swift at sublight speeds. In an engagement, Dukat had no doubt that his vessel would emerge the winner. Skirmishes between Cardassian and Tzenkethi ships had become a regular feature of travel through the Bajor Sector; the aggressive aliens seemed to have little concern about picking fights well outside their own borders.

“Based on my projections of their ion trail’s decay rate, I suspect that the ship is diverging from our course.” Pa’Dar split his hands apart to illustrate his conclusion. “If they continue on that heading, they will enter the Ajir system.”

“Ajir?” Dukat repeated, turning back to his monitor. He called up a report on the star system. “Single star, several unremarkable balls of ice and rock, a large cometary debris zone. No inhabitants.” He considered it for a moment. “A waypoint, perhaps.”

“I concur,” said Pa’Dar. “The Tzenkethi are known to prefer the refuge of star systems to the void of deep space. It’s an accepted trait of their race.”

Dukat tapped the screen with his finger. “We could alter course, go to high warp, and make it to Ajir before them. If they were following us, they were scanning us, and that is tantamount to an act of espionage against the Cardassian Union.” The prospect of a combat engagement tingled in his fingertips.

“To do so would require you to abandon the Lhemorand leave it undefended,” Pa’Dar replied. “It could even be a ploy to make you do just that.” He frowned. “If I am correct, I believe the Detapa Council’s orders are that the Oralians are to be escorted all the way to Bajor.”

Dukat raised an eyeridge. “And how would you know the intents of the Detapa Council, Kotan? I wasn’t aware they kept the Ministry of Science informed of such things.”

Pa’Dar’s frown deepened. “You know full well my family’s connections within the council. Some things became known to me.”

“Indeed?” Dukat did know; Pa’Dar’s clan was applying pressure to the man to give up his dalliance with the sciences and take up a political career. That he continued to resist showed character on his part, something Dukat saw little of in most civilians. He sighed. “But you are quite correct. And far be it from me to go against the will of Cardassia’s most esteemed council.” He got to his feet and glanced down at the helm officer. “Glinn, you will maintain our present course and speed. Enter this data into the ship’s log and alert me if the alien makes any sort of approach.” He handed the woman Kotan’s padd and beckoned Pa’Dar to follow him. “I will be in my duty room.”

When the door closed behind them, Dukat gestured to a chair in front of the chamber’s low table. Pa’Dar sat and glanced around; the dal’s office was lined with screens showing data feeds from different parts of the ship, but many of the panels were blank. Pa’Dar knew from experience that the Kashai’s main computer had detected his entrance into the room and automatically concealed any information that a civilian of his security authorization was not cleared for. He paid it no mind; it was just another part of the way of obfuscation, concealment, and secrecy that was the Cardassian manner.

“Are you hungry?” asked the dal. “I decided that in order to acclimate myself, I would try a meal of Bajoran dishes.” He crossed to the replicator slot, examining the labels on a series of isolinear rods. “Veklava. Hasperat.These names mean little to me.”

“Skrain.” Pa’Dar shifted uncomfortably. “Just now, on the bridge. You were making sport of me, yes? You did not actually intend to fire on the Oralians?”

“Would you be perturbed if I did?” Dukat glanced at him. “You’ve made it clear in the past that you have little regard for the followers of the Way.”

“True,” Pa’Dar admitted, “but in the end they are still Cardassians.”

“Barely.”

Pa’Dar continued. “Sometimes I wonder if they could be convinced to lay down their allegiance to their dogma and become part of society again.”

Dukat gave a dry laugh. “You have changed since we were last together, Kotan. If anything, you’ve become softer.”

“I just feel that now is the moment for Cardassia to look inward and put her own house in order. It’s been a year since the Talarian conflict was brought to a conclusion, but Cardassia Prime still feels as if it is on a war footing.”

“Cardassia is alwayson a war footing,” Dukat grunted.

“And the Talarian conflict was not concluded,Kotan. It came to a stalemate. The two things are not the same. Just because we have withdrawn from Republic space and no longer engage them in open battle, it does not mean we can turn away from them. They still represent a viable threat. Along with the Breen and the Tzenkethi, they hold walls around Cardassia on three fronts.”

“And because of that, we expand toward Bajor?” Pa’Dar replied. “We should be consolidating, not expanding. Our people need to apply restraint to the factions in the council, marshal our citizens, and deal with the Oralian matter.”

“And how would you accomplish the latter?” Dukat asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Most who follow the Way do it out of habit. If the Cardassian Union gave them the same leadership in their lives, they would reject the church. I would give them that and offer them a choice. Disavow their religion and reintegrate or leave the homeworld.”

“To Bajor, perhaps?” Dukat selected a few data rods and put the rest aside. “Pack off the troublemakers and the zealots?” He nodded to a small screen showing an exterior view of the Lhemor.He smiled thinly. “Kotan Pa’Dar, I do believe that the colors of your clan are showing through that scientist façade you wear. Anyone listening to the words you just said would think you were a politician and not a man of learning.”

“I speak plainly.” Pa’Dar bristled at the officer’s tone. “I know that is a rarity among the circles you move in.”

Dukat chuckled again, and Pa’Dar knew he was mocking him. “So tell me, then. You have the solution to Cardassia’s social ills. What about her other needs, eh?” He gestured around at the Kashai’s dun-colored walls. “Our naval forces were depleted in the process of teaching the Talarians some discipline. We cannot rebuild faster because we don’t possess the minerals we need. Bajor does, but they will not trade it to us. We get only a trickle, too little too slowly. How would you address that?”

Pa’Dar felt the color rising in his ridges, the flesh darkening. The open challenge in Dukat’s words was clear. If he backed down he would lose whatever respect the dal had for him. His jaw hardened. Very well. I will say what I wish to, and hunger take Skrain Dukat if he takes offense over it.“The answer is plain to see. The Bajorans feel intimidated by us. What we see as normal behavior they see as aggressive and demanding. To make them open up to us we must be more like them. Cardassia needs to foster a peaceable route toward collaboration. If we force them, they will dig in their heels and become intractable. Warships and soldiers like you won’t do the job.”