All Bad Things...

Posted on Sun May 19th, 2019 @ 4:08pm by Lu'kat
Edited on on Sun May 19th, 2019 @ 4:13pm

Mission: S0E0: What Came Before
Location: Federation Star Base 42, the Shoal, near theBajor-Cardassia border
Timeline: A few days before Lu'kat's arrival at Canopus Station

Lu’kat gazed out of the small porthole towards the receding outlines of Star Base 42, the place that he had called home for over 8 years. In many ways, SB 42 had gone through a similar journey as Cardassia had. Like Cardassia, SB 42 was little more than a ruin 8 years ago and like Cardassia, SB 42 had to be rebuilt from the ground up. And, like Cardassia, it flourished once again. Ever since Cardassia began trading on its own again, the shipping lanes between Cardassia Prime and Bajor became well-travelled, and the formerly remote SB 42 became its own local hub of commerce and trade, despite it being in the middle of the Shoal, a turbulent area of space that made the Badlands seem like a walk in the park.

Even though Lu’kat had not chosen to reside there, he had made some good memories, and did some good work over there as the station’s Liason and Representative of the Cardassian Union. In fact, if it hadn’t been for Lu’kat’s negotiations, Bajor would have never agreed to open up a shipping lane to Cardassian space through the Shoal, now one of the most important links between the two former enemies.

He turned his seat. Now all of that was in the past. Now he was finally coming back home and he would be among his own kind again. To be part of a strong and vibrant Cardassia, that had been his dream for so many years. He eyed the young Cardassian sitting next to him, piloting the transport. Just a kid, probably didn’t even remember the Dominion War.

As soon as the small transport vessel cleared the Shoal, the young pilot started preparing to jump to warp. Something was off though, Lu’kat thought, the stars were in the wrong place, he remembered them from when he would travel between Bajor and Cardassia in the past. He checked the vessel’s coordinates, they were a little bit off but nothing that couldn’t be fixed with a minor course correction. The pilot was young and probably not as experienced travelling to and from the Shoal yet. But instead of steering the vessel back towards Cardassia, the pilot suddenly veered away from it completely.

“What are you doi….” That was all that Lu’kat could get out before he suddenly found himself tied to the chair by heavy straps that had shot out from hidden compartments in his chair. Lu’kat struggled with all his might, but the straps wouldn't budge. “What is the meaning of this?!” Lu‘kat half asked, half shouted at the young pilot. The kid didn’t seem to be the least bit impressed. Casually he reached into a pocket and took out a hypospray. It was clear the hypo was meant for Lu’kat. Lu’kat had never felt more enraged before. 8 years he had wasted away on that space station, 8 years he was forced to eat human food, and still, 8 years he had fulfilled that duty, embodied what he thought of as the perfect Cardassian, loyal, honourable, efficient. Paving the way to normalise relations with their former enemies so that Cardassia would have a chance again. He had carried his fate with his head held high, confident that sooner or later his efforts and duty to the Cardassian Union would be recognised. And now all would be undone by some young boy with a hypospray. Lu’kat couldn’t believe the insult, the shame he felt. For the first time he felt true shame for his people, that they would treat their own this way. But mostly, he felt anger, an intense anger towards himself, for the fact that he, Lu’kat, had walked right into it. Again. And with open eyes this time… They were never going to get him back, how could Lu’kat have been so naïve…. 8 years wasted…

The young boy put the hypospray to his neck. Lu’kat looked the boy straight in the face, “You’ll pay for this…” Lu’kat whispered coldly, a tear running down his cheek. The last thing he heard was the soft hiss of the hypo as it injected the cold fluid into his veins. Then all went black.