written by Mary Draganis
The bustle of Quarks, Deep Space Nine's gambling den, greeted Keiko O'Brien, the station's school teacher. She took a seat in the back of the crowded bar. As she was about to sit down, Jake Sisko, the son of the commander of the station, came out of the holosuite with a young Cardassian/Bajoran girl. Keiko smiled at the two children, Jake caught sight of Mrs O'Brien and went on over to her.
"You wouldn't believe how those planes dive bombed the ships! It was fantastic!" Jake said with a huge grin.
Keiko gave him a wry smile. She had wanted to give the children some understanding, since the trouble with the colonists and the Maquis, of the conflict and the reasons behind them. She thought the Second World War was a good example.
"I didn't know you were doing your assignment on the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbour?" Keiko asked the young boy.
"Oh..ah..I'm not..My assignment is on the French Resistance during the German Occupation of France. Nog is doing about Pearl Harbour."
"What assignment are you doing, Elise? Keiko said addressing the young girl.
"I'm working with Jake." She said as she gave Jake a shy smile.
*******
The nerve centre of Deep Space Nine, the Operations centre, was a hive of activity as the usual day to day business of the station came in and out of the wormhole.
Commander Benjamin Sisko, the commanding officer of Deep Space Nine, walked out of his office and stood there with his hands on his hips. Major Kira Nerys, the Bajoran Liaison Officer and second in command, and Lt Jadzia Dax, the Trill science Officer were in consultation at Dax's console.
"Chief O'Brien will be back tomorrow, Commander." Kira said as Sisko decided to descend the stairs.
"Good. I just got word from Starfleet that the Jerada will be arriving tomorrow and they are sending Commander Delcar..."
"The Jerada?" Kira asked looking at Sisko then at Dax.
"The Jerada are a xenophobic racewhich we know little about. The last known contact was with the Enterprise several years ago and then nothing. It seems they want to go to the Gamma quadrant."
"If they are so xenophobic why are they going through the wormhole?"
Sisko shrugged. "They didn't tell me." He smiled. "What we do know is that they will be stopping off here before entering the wormhole so we can modify their engines, hopefully Commander Delcar will make that transition run as smoothly as possible...I don't anticipate any problems."
*****
Elise Yuli walked slowly back through the promenade towards Quarks. She was looking forward to doing her project with Jake. She smiled at the thought of her and Jake working together. She was so glad Nog wasn't going to be with them. She walked in a daydream thinking how lucky she was that she was going to spend all that time with him.
"Hello, Yuli." The unmistakable voice of Kira Nerys said as she stopped in front of the young girl. Elise smiled broadly at her friend.
They had become friends during the ill-fated science trip they took several months back and she adored the Bajoran, many even thought she was mimicking the Major's idiosyncrasies. Major Kira had become a role model for the young girl ever since then. Her mother joked with her that she started walking like the Bajoran. That had made Yuli laugh.
"Nerys! I didn't see you there!" Elise said as she hugged her.
"So the smile wasn't for me after all?"
The girl laughed. They went over to replimat and sat down. Elise looked at her friend and couldn't wait to tell her the news about her assignment.
"So what's the rush?"
"I'm doing a school assignment on the Maquis!"
Kira gave her a quizzical look."The Starfleet rebels?"
Elise laughed. "No, no, no! The Maquis that we're doing is about the French Resistance during Earth's Second World War. They called themselves Maquis."
"Ah, I see...who are you doing it with?"
"With Jake..." Elise said and looked down and smiled shyly.
Kira saw the young girl's face and realised that Elise had fallenin love with Jake. She smiled at the realisation that Elise had finally let her defences down to make friends.
"Oh..I see..is Nog coming too?" Kira stirred.
"NO!...I hope not..." She said and turned a bright shade of pink. "I mean..it's.."
"Just Jake and you in a holosuite...I wonder.." Kira said and looked around and spotted Dax. "I wonder if Dax might not be interested in going with you, since she is the science officer..." The look of utter panic in Elise eye's made Kira laugh out loud. "I was joking, Yuli!"
Elise looked at her and sighed. She hadn't told anyone about how she felt about Jake and she wanted to tell her best friend about it.
"I...think..I like Jake."
"So do I."
"No..I think I _really_ like him."
"Oh...I see, does Jake know you _really_ like him?"
"Um..ah..I don't know...I think so. Do you want to come and have a look at the program we set up?" Elise asked hurriedly changing the subject.
"Not now but come by my quarters in a few hours and I'll have a look."
*****
Elise wanted to look the part of the French Resistance, she had even replicated the clothes. Jake had made sure that the program accounted for her Cardassian features, she didn't want to spend the time explaining why she looked different to the humans. She had even replicated an old fashioned earth weapon. She quickly went to Kira's quarters with two old fashioned rifles slung across her back.
"Come." Came the reply to the doors buzzer.
Elise walked in to find Kira still in her uniform quickly eating. "You're not ready?"
"Ah..no..I will be soon though. Take a seat." Kira said and walked into her bedroom. "What's that you're holding?"
"It's called a rifle - it's a weapon that I found in the computer. The Maquis fought with it...I can't figure out how they won with it! It's so old! I replicated one for you as well."
Elise looked around. She had been here before but never had the chance to really look at it properly. She saw a drawing of a young Bajoran with what looked like mud on her face and a huge grin, on the wall.
"ho is the picture of?" She inquired.
"What picture?" Kira's voice came from the bedroom.
"On the wall...a young Bajoran."
"Me." Kira said as she walked out wearing a grey shirt and matching pants.
"You?" Elise asked in surprise. She never really thought about Nerys being young. She was so intense.
"Yes, me! I was young once you know!" She said and laughed. She looked at the drawing and sat down. "That was drawn by a very special friend of mine when we were knee deep in a mud filled tunnel escaping the Cardassians. I was 16 years old...a long time ago."
Elise turned around and saw the sadness in her eyes and sat down. "Is he still around?"
"No. He was killed, you would have liked him..."
"Oh..I'm sorry I.."
"Come on let's get going and have a look at your assignment!" Kira said and she ushered the girl out and had a quick look back at the picture that her comrade and lover had drawn of her. The memory of Anton Kief had never dimmed nor the way he was brutally killed.
********
Commander Sisko stared at the viewscreen. The Jerada had arrived early. Typical, he thought to himself. Lt Dax sat at her console and stared in amazement at Sisko.
"We just got a subspace message that Commander Delcar is going to be late..." Dax raised her voice to be heard over the cacophany of insect like sound filling Ops.
"What's that?" Sisko said above the din.
"Commander...Delcar.." Dax halted as she realised the insect-like sound ceased and there was quiet. Sisko got even more worried than before. "Delcar is late..."
"Great! I don't suppose your previous hosts had any dealings with the Jerada?" Sisko wryly asked. Dax shook her head and went back to her console. "Hail them."
"They're not responding to our hails, Benjamin. I've been trying to do that for the last few minutes."
The Jeradan ship then started to emit a scanning beam all over the station. The light began to systematically scan Ops and the crew.
"Now what!" Sisko said to no one in particular.
"They're scanning us, Benjamin."
"Why?"
"According to Starflee, the Jerada are suspicious of everyone and they want to know who they are dealing with."
"Why don't they ask us first!"
The scan probed the Ops section, stopping at each officer and then swept down to sickbay and travelled all over the station and reached Quarks where the lights went out but as quickly came back on.
"What now, Dax?"
"They have broken off the scan and are powering up..."
Before the Trill could finish the Jeradan ship moved towards the wormhole.
"Hail them!" Sisko said urgently fully aware that the Jeradan ship's engines had not been modified for travel through the wormhole.
"They are not answering our hails..."
The wormhole majestically opened and just before the Jeraden ship entered the vortex it exploded sending debris flying.
Sisko swore.
"Get me Starfleet!" Sisko said as he walked up the stairs to his office. "And Dax, get O'Brien on subspace and find out where Delcar is!" He entered his office muttering to himself and then went back out. "Dax, where is Major Kira?"
"She said she was going to the holosuite to run a program that Jake and Elise had devised."
"Sisko to Kira.." The comm link did not respond which was most unusual for Major Kira he thought. "Computer, locate Major Kira."
"Major Kira is not on the Station."
Sisko looked at Dax with surprise. "When and how did she leave?"
"I do not have that information." The computer droned.
"Computer, which holosuite is currently being used by Major Kira?" Dax asked.
"Major Kira is not using any of the holosuites."
"How many holosuites are currently in operation?"
"No holosuites are in operation."
Sisko and Dax looked at each other. "Dax, scan the station for Kira's combadge."
"It's not showing anything, Benjamin." Dax said and looked up in surprise.
"Damn! Get me Starfleet!" Sisko said and walked up into his office. "Get security to search for Kira and get O'Brien back!"
******
Kira and Elise entered the holosuite, each dressed as resistance members and carrying the rifles that Elise replicated. The setting they chose wascarefully selected by Jake and Elise. They had wanted to get a feel of the people behind the Maquis but as they entered in darkness with light coming from the full moon. Kira and Elise detected some camp fires and decided to walk into the camp.
The setting began to phase in and out and then reappeared. Kira looked at Elise with concern. The setting of dense forest was again replaced by the holosuite grid. It altered several times before stabilising.
"Halt!" A young man in his teens stood before them brandishing a rifle. Elise smiled to herself and pleased that she picked the right weapon to carry. "Move!" He said and motioned them to go into the direction of the camp. "And I'll take those guns!" He said as he picked up their weapons.
They walked on ahead and behind them was the teen with the rifle aiming at Kira's head.
"I don't think this is a good way to introduce yourself, Elise." Kira whispered.
"It wasn't supposed to be like that!" Elise whispered back. "Computer end program!"
The computer failed to respond. They were still in the dense forest, in pitch darkness being forced into the Maquis camp by the teen with the rifle.
Kira swore.
"Quiet, both of you!" The teen said and pushed Kira with the butt of his gun as they entered the camp and were met by a woman, dressed in black overalls and brandishing a revolver.
"What are your names?"
"My name is Elise Yuli." Elise told the woman.
"Are you Belgian?"
"No.." Kira said.
"Yes..." Elise said hurriedly
"You don't know if you're Belgian?" The woman asked Kira.
"What we meant to say is that I'm Belgian...my friend is... Irish!"
"What's your name?" The woman asked Kira.
Elise's heart started beating fast, she had hoped Nerys would remember an Irish name although they didn't meet many humans from Ireland on the station.
"Kira..O'Brien." Kira responded after a beat. When she got out she would have to thank Chief O'Brien for the lend of his name.
Elise looked at Kira and smiled.
"Well, Elise and Kira, you're both far from home. Who gave you directios here?"
Elise was dreading that. She hoped Jake had put all the information into this program but judging from the fact that the computer was not responding, anything could happen.
"De Gaulle sent us..not him personally but he said..we should all volunteer to help the resistance in France to rid of the Germans and my friend and I...we wanted to help and a man told us to come this way." Elise hoped she lied well.
"What man?"
"He didn't give us his name..." Kira answered knowing how that the resistance worked in a similar to way to the Shakaar. It had been good reasoning not to reveal names. If someone had been captured they couldn't reveal any names that they didn't know.
"Had you given me a name, I would have killed you."
The woman looked at them and smiled for the first time since she met them and motioned to them. They entered a cave where a dozen men and women were eating. "You must be hungry..have some food. We need all the help we can get."
Kira and Elise sat down and began to eat. Kira went closer to Elise and whispered. "We have to tread carefully, the computer is not responding to verbal commands...just be careful what you say."
****
Benjamin Sisko looked at the console on his desk and sighed. Chief of Operations, Miles O'Brien stared back at him from the viewscreen looking equally frustrated. He was located on Bajor's moon with Dr Julian Bashir and the prospect of spending any more time with the Doctor was not something he was looking forward to.
"Chief, we need you here immediately!"
"Sir, I have..."
"A Jeradan ship just exploded outside the wormhole and I'm expecting the Jerada to be less than pleased with that turn of events. I also have a missing Kira to contend with! When is the earliest you can be here?"
"Dr Bashir should be finished here in a few hours."
"Well I expect you here then, Chief!"
Sisko sat at his desk and stared at the blank screen as he played with the baseball, rolling it around his fingers. It made him think better, he reasoned after someone had mentioned to him hislittle idiosyncrasy.
"Odo to Sisko."
"Yes Odo."
"I think you had better come down to Quarks...we have a problem."
Sisko sighed. If it involved the Ferengi he was sure it was going to be a major problem.
*******
The full moon gave out an eerie light as gunfire was heard in the distance. Elise sat up and looked behind her at the sleeping Kira. She got up and looked up at the moonlit sky. She heard the sound of aeroplanes overhead. She wondered when in the history of the resistance did Jake place them in. It wasn't like she imagined it would be like.
"The guns are blazing tonight, little one."
Elise turned around and faced a middle aged man, his grey eyes met hers and he smiled.
"I'm Elise." She introduced herself.
"Yes, I know. I am Philipe. You can't sleep?"
"No..the thunder woke me up..."
"That isn't thunder, little one, it is gunfire and bombs falling from the sky...the liberation of France has began." He said and looked towards the redlit horizon. "Too late to help many many good people..." he said to himself.
"So we can't help to liberate France?" Elise sounded disappointed.
The man laughed. "I didn't say the war is over." He turned to the sleeping Kira. "Is she your mother?"
Elise laughed. "Ah..no...she's a good friend."
Silence fell between them as the noise of the distant guns reverberated through the still night air. Philipe glanced back at Kira.
"What happened to her nose?" He said quietly.
Elise looked at Kira and realised Jake didn't compensate for Bajoran features. She had to think quickly. "Uh..she was tortured...she doesn't talk about it much."
Philipe looked at the sleeping Kira and sighed. He knew all about German torture. He knew it all too well. He could understand why she wouldn't talk about it.
**********
Sisko hurried into Quarks bar where Quark, the Ferengi owner of the bar, stood behind the bar and looked very annoyed. Odo, the station's Security Chief, looked equally gruff, but then the shapeshifter always looked that way so Sisko had no idea what the problem was only hat it involved the Ferengi.
"What seems to be the problem, Odo? Have you found Major Kira yet?"
"Quark believes Kira is in the holosuite."
"She can't be, the computer is saying no program is running, isn't it? Computer locate Major Kira?"
"Major Kira is not on board the station."
"Well?" Sisko looked at both of them.
Odo motioned to Quark.
"He's right, Commander. Major Kira and that young Cardassian girl went into Holosuite number two and they never came out."
"Maybe you missed them?"
"No, they didn't come out." Quark said emphatically. "I went and checked the computer log and they didn't exit. I'm going to charge her extra for overstaying her time..."
"Yes, yes fine, Quark, but the computer says there are no holosuites running. How..."
"Dax to Sisko.."
"Yes, Dax?"
"Admiral Nacheyev on subspace, priority one, Benjamin."
Sisko rolled his eyes. Nothing ever ran smoothly on Deep Space Nine and this was one of those times.
"All right, I'll be right there." He turned to Odo. "Odo, find out if the holosuite is working and get Major Kira out of there if she's in there and if not...find out where she's gone!"
*******
The sun rose over the horizon and cast a golden glow on the mountains. Kira sat up and felt as if she was back in the Shakaar, she turned and watched as the cell organised itself and memories flooding back. She was brought back from her daydream by the shouting of the sentry.
"Micheala! They're back!" The sentry shouted as he raced to the cave.
The woman that greeted Kira and Elise stood at the mouth of the cave and watched the sentry run to her. A broad grin on her face appeared as soon as she saw a tall man walking into the camp followed by a dozen men and women.
"Jean!" the woman cried out and opened her arms.
The tall man went over to the woman and picked her up and kissed her tenderly.
"We're back!" he said "It's true, the Allies have landed in Normandy." He began to laugh and cry as all the camp cheered.
"Micheala!" Elise whispered to herself.
"What?" Kira asked.
"Jake said h was going to program it with two of the most famous Maquis members..." She said getting excited. "Nerys, that woman is Micheala Rochelle, she is or was the most hunted woman in all of France. There was a bounty on her head, she was responsible for freeing many Jews from a labour camp and leading daring assaults on German garrisons!"
Kira looked at the two figures as they went away from the camp. The man, held the woman's hand as they walked and talked.
"What happened to her?" Kira said as she watched the couple.
Elise stopped smiling. "She was betrayed by a collaborator and was captured by the Germans. According to the historical data banks, she was executed for crimes against Germany just before the surrender of Germany. She missed out on the liberation..."
"Who is the man with her?"
"I think it's Jean Picard. He was killed when they were ambushed. According to Jake, Picard was her lover." Elise grinned.
"I think you have studied up for your assignment, Mrs O'Brien would be pleased..." Kira said and she realised how well the Shakaar resembled the Maquis.
Elise smiled. She did work hard and at least she could tell Nerys something that the Major didn't know. Then the realisation of who she was speaking to the previous night hit. She tugged Kira's sleeve with urgency.
"Nerys.." she whispered. "You won't believe who I spoke to last night."
"Try me...everyone seems to be here..." Kira smirked.
"Just the greatest Resistance Leader that France ever had! His name is Philipe Michel...he led the Maquis in battle with the Allies and joined with General Jacques Leclerc in liberating Paris! He spoke to me last night! He's here! I can't believe Jake did this!"
*******
Sisko turned off his console. His conversation with Admiral Nacheyev was worrisome. Sisko came out of his office and walked briskly to where Lt Dax sat. He wore a worried look that Dax had seen many times before.
"We have trouble."
"Oh...this isn't enough? What did Admiral Nacheyev say?"
"The Jerada are threatening to destroy a Federation colonyin retaliation for the destruction of their ship. It seems Captain Picard has had prior dealings with the Jerada. The Enterprise has been sent to sort out the mess...something about Captain Picard being able to communicate with them...and if he isn't able to stop them, then we're going to have a dozen Jeradan ships on our doorstep!"
"So that insect sound we heard was their attempted communications with us?"
"It seems that way..."
"Why didn't the universal translator kick in?"
"I have no idea! How fast can you learn to speak like an insect, Dax?" The Commander joked and gave her a wry smile. "I wish Chief O'Brien would get here!"
"I'm right here, sir!" Chief of Operations, Miles O'Brien said as he got off the turbolift.
"We have a major problem, chief!"
"What else is new..." O'Brien said and picked up the tools he had just let down.
"Sisko to Odo, have you located Kira yet?"
"Yes sir, she appears to be stuck in the holodeck."
"How is that possible, constable?"
"I don't know anything about holosuites, in my opinion they are a waste of time!" The shapeshifter said and humphed.
"Commander, something similar happened on the Enterprise when we had contacted the Jerada...the Captain was stuck in a 1940's style detective program. If I contact the Enterprise, they could tell us how they fixed it."
Sisko sighed with relief. It was the first piece of good news he heard in a long time.
*********
Kira stood watching the planes roar overhead. She didn't hear the sound of footsteps coming from behind her. Michaela watched her for a few seconds and walked up beside her.
"It's peaceful here, isn't it?" Micheala said and she stood beside Kira.
"The calm before the storm." Kira said still looking at the horizon.
Micheala laughed. "You're too pessimistic, Kira. We are going to light some fireworks for the Germans..you want to join us?"
Kira nodded. She remembered what Elise told her about the young woman's betrayal. They sat down on some nearby boulders each with their own memories.
"What do you plan to do when ll of this over, Kira?"
Kira smiled. She remembered being asked that question by Anton Kief on the eve of the biggest attack by the Shakaar. She had sat up all night, her nerves had been on edge and sleep was the last thing on her mind.
"I want to go home, I want a nice hot bath and some sleep." Kira repeated the words she uttered to Anton.
"I want to go back home as well, to Paris, I want to eat a hot dinner and then sleep until the next decade. The 1950's have got to better than this." She said and sighed. "I want to see if my family are still alive...do you have family?"
"Just my grandmother...everyone else is gone. I think that's what drove me all those years."
"You sound as if you know the war is over?" Michaela said in surprise.
"It will be. It's just a matter of time before I get my hot bath and some sleep and you get your hot dinner." Kira said with a smile.
Philipe walked up beside them and sat next to Michaela. "And I want real coffee!" He chuckled as he sat down next to the two women. "I have to leave soon, Michaela."
"You're going to miss the fireworks, Philipe!"
He smiled. "Another day, I'm aiming on setting the Vichy's pants on fire!" He laughed.
Kira looked at him and his resemblance to Kief made her shiver.
"Well preparations to make, destines to fulfil and all that...be careful Philipe." Michaela said as she placed her hand on his shoulder and gave it a quick squeeze.
"Don't worry, we will all meet in Paris and drink to the liberation of France! You, me, Jean and De Gualle and a decent cup of coffee!"
Michaela gave him a quick peck on the cheek and walked off. Kira continued to look out. Philipe cast a glance at Kira and realised why she so unsettled him. Her eyes reminded him of his beloved Nicolette. The same brooding look, the same war weary eyes. He realised she had seen to much.
"You have beautiful eyes." Philipe said to Kira.
Kira was startled. It was the last thing she expected to hear. "Thank you."
"Are you married?" Philipe glanced at her.
"No...never had time. Are you?
"I was but the Germans took her way. I don't know whether she's still alive...do you have a family?"
"Only my grandmother." Kira whispered. "The others died in the camps."
Philipe gave an uncontrollable shudder. "I have seen these camps... we helped some of them escape...we couldn't help the others..men, women, comrades..."
"Yes..too many good people have died...too many.."
"We are a tragic people, Kira. But it will be different when we reclaim our land. This nation will rise again. We have seen to much death, to much sorrow but they haven't stopped the Maquis. We will beat them." He turned her around and gently kissed her. Kira was taken aback by the suddenness but returned the kiss and smiled.
"A stolen kiss...to remember me by!" Philipe said as he got up from the rock he was sitting on. He held her hand. "We will meet in Paris and drink some decent coffee!" He laughed and kissed her hand and walked away.
********
Chief O'Brien sat inside Sisko's office. His friend, Lt.Commander Geordi La Forge, the Chief Engineer of the Enterprise, stared back at him from the console.
"Geordi, are you sure this will work?"
"It did when the Captain was stuck in the holodeck. Shut off the environmental controls and the holosuite will generate the exit. Don't attempt to turn the power off...everyone in there might vanish."
"How are the negotiations with the Jerada doing?"
La Forge laughed. "Well we picked Commander Delcar and he is talking to the Jeradan which is a start, I think we have it under control. Give my regards to Keiko. La Forge out."
O'Brien stepped out of Sisko's office and went to the turbolift. "I think I have a way to open the holosuite!"
"Lets do it!" Sisko said as he entered the turbolift with O'Brien.
*****
The afternoon sun began to slowly receded as Michaela assembled her people, Kira and Elise stood back from the main group. They watched as Michaela assembled her group and made plans for the assault.
"It looks as if you're going to have a close-up look at how the Maquis worked."
Elise smied. She had wanted to see how the Maquis worked and now was going to be given the opportunity. She only wished that Jake was here.
"The Shakaar worked in a similar way...do you remember when Michaela is betrayed?"
"No but it was near Paris, you don't think it's on this mission?"
"I don't know where Paris is." Kira said with a grin.
A dozen men and woman slowly started to move out of camp when suddenly shots rang out. Everyone dived for cover and Kira threw Elise behind a boulder.
"What hell is going on?!" Kira whispered.
"The Germans...computer end program!" Elise screeched.
The computer failed to respond much to the disappointment of Elise as she looked from behind the boulder at the exchange of gun fire between the Maquis and the Germans.
Gunfire raged between the rebels and the German troops. Kira looked around and saw the young boy who had stopped them a few nights back, dead in the mud, his rifle lay beside him. Kira made a grab for the rifle and then hid back behind the boulder.
"Well, Yuli, now would be a good time to find out if this weapon works!" Kira said and began to shoot.
*******
"Be careful! Can't you just turn the power off!" Quark said as he looked over O'Brien's shoulder.
"No...we might lose them. This is the only way. Odo! Get him out of the way!" Sisko said as Odo pulled Quark away.
O'Brien worked the controls of the holosuite with Quark anxiously looking on. Odo and Sisko stood back hoping that what worked on the Enterprise would work here.
"Don't damage the controls!" Quark screeched!
O'Brien gave him a disgusted look and continued working. "I think we got it!" He punched some more commands into the panel. "Computer, access program Jake1."
"The holosuite is not running any programs."
O'Brien muttered and tried again. "Computer, is holosuite 1 running any programs?"
"Holosuite 1 is currently running Jake1."
O'Brien and Sisko exchanged smiles. "Computer, access program Jake 1." O'Brien ordered.
The holosuite doors parted to reveal a frozen German soldier about to shoot Kir and Elise close by behind a boulder. Kira looked up and a grin spread across her face. She exhaled loudly. "Chief, you have wonderful timing!"
"Thank you, sir."
"Are you all right?" Sisko asked, relieved to see his first officer in one piece.
"Fine! Just shot a couple of Germans. Did we miss anything interesting?"
Sisko smiled. He would let Kira take a much needed rest before telling her about the Jeradens.
"No, nothing that can't wait!"
*****
Kira sat in her quarters, exhausted after the brush with the Maquis and the Germans. She couldn't go to sleep. Ghosts of her past invaded her sleep. She went to her console.
"Computer, give me biographical data on Philipe Michel, a Maquis resistance leader during the second world war circa 1942 Earth history.
"Philipe Luc Michel, born in Paris, France in 1901. Was instrumental in the downfall of the German defences with General Leclerc that helped to liberate Paris. Married to Rachel LeBarre in 1950 and died in 1964. He was Ambassador of France to the United Nations till 1960."
Kira looked at the console at the image of the man she met in the holodeck. Her door alarm sounded and she looked up in surprise.
"Come."
The door parted and Elise stood in the doorway, still in the clothes she wore in the holodeck.
"Nerys, tell me about the Shakaar."