jIHaD - Part II: WITCH HUNT
By Ch'tach

PART TWO: WITCH HUNT

The Russians are coming,the Russians are coming!!!!

  Captain Sykes' meeting with Kira had not gone well. Just over a year ago, straight after he ahd taken command of the Defiant, Sykes had refused to back her in the on-going hunt for the wherabouts of Capt. Sisko, Starflee belived that Sisko had died in the Fire caves during the final battle with Dukat, the Bajorans thought different and for a time Starfleet had allowed the Defiant to carry out deep core soundings in the search for him but as soon as he assumed command Sykes had revoked those orders and with the backing of Command the search was cancelled. Kira had never forgiven bim and ever since thier relationship had been strained to say the least. However due to the current unrest the two of them had been forced togeather, but kira made it perfectly clear that she was accepting his help under sufference and if not for the intervention of Dr. Bashir she would'nt even allow him on the station.

  Vedek Ho was pleased with the progress so far, He knealt before his alter and gave thanks to the Pah Wraiths, he looked up into the wood carved features of Gul Dukat. " For you my lord, always for you." A chime sounded out side and Ho stood bowed and left through a concelled door, outside two more vedeks waited, " the council of Ministers has voted to allow Starfleet to stay." muttered the taller of the two, "Our mission has failed." sighed the smaller older one. "We cannot fail, the pah wraiths guide our path." said Ho " The Council has only forstalled the eventual outcome. we have succeded in halting the talks
for Bajor's entry into the Federation, that will give us the stepping board to ousting the Council and the Assembly. Now we must pass to the next step, we must begin what the Humans once called the 'phoney war' when we are done the Bajoran people shall embrace us as thier saviors and the Federation shall be reviled by all."

Before Capt. Sykes had time to react the Militiaman opened fire, the Defiants armour absorbed most of the energy before the shields came up."Evaisive manouvers Alpha3, bring us about get behind them, raise DS9 tell Kira to get those runabouts launched or she'll never get anyone off the station alive."  The day had started well for Capt. Sykes, Kira had accepted his recomondation that he use Bajoran investigators instead of Starfleet, and she had welcomed his suggestion that the Defiant not have a direct part in the investigation. But then sometime around lunch everything started to go pear shaped.  The media on Bajor had been full of reports over the last week that Starfleet personel were withholding vital information about the bombings, that the reason the Defiant was even here was the cover-up Federation involvement and that elements of the bajoran government had been offered substantial off world bank accounts in return for the Defiant leading the hunt. Sykes had contacted Kira at once and she had agreed without question that he and his ship should keep a low profile for a few days, so they had backed off to patrol the area around the Wormhole and let the situation on bajor die down, it was here that they had come across the flotilla of six Bajoran Militiamen and been told that the Celestial Temple was no longer to be defiled by non belivers, before he could react they had opened fire, and someone on the station had returned fire, at this three of the ships broke off and headed for the station and three headed for the Defiant, sykes raised Kira and she reported fighting breaking out all over the station the situation was starting to get out of hand. "Sykes to Bashir, initiate EVAC1 procedure." "Do you think that is necessary Captain? we've sustained greater attacks thatn a few Militiamen before now." "This is not a debate Dr. just get all federation personel off that station, whilst their there the station is a target." "But surely you and the Def..." "Dr.Bashir I'm givin you a direct order, get those people off now or I'll have Colonel Kira remove you and do it herself."  Sykes cut the com link, all on the bridge looked away, many had served on board for years and knew the Dr. well, Sisko had never spoken to him that way. "Get me Kira and then get a signal through to Admiral Ross, we might have a worse situation here than we thought." just then another salvo hit them, "Shall we return fire Sir." Sykes looked out at the smaller ships firing on the station. "Repeat to Bashir to evacuate, pull us back get some distance between us and them. We need time to think this through."

 Captain Ch'tatch of the IKV K'umcha looked on as the militiamen peppered the station with ineffectual fire, He remembered when it had been Klingon ships firing on the station, that had been a battle. But now things were different, the Federation were thier allies again, and he had been stationed here at DS9 as part of the task force watching the Wormhole, and defending the station, now that station was under attck. He leaned over toward his Tacticle officer. "Koleth, signal the High Council, advise Martok of events here and ask him what we should do." Hu'chi his First officer stood next to him. "Shall we intervene?" Ch'tatch watched as the little ships made another pass. "Not just yet, let us see how comitted these Bajorans are to a fight."

To be Continued........

--- End of Part II----

NEXT - PART TWO : WITCH HUNT.

A story by Ch'tach