Pay No Attention To the Man Behind The Curtain...

The buzzing of the alarm awoke Sorripto from sleep as he rubbed his eyes and sat up.  Despite being detained he was allowed to work monitored engineering shifts aboard the docked the McKenzie pending a Starfleet decision on what to do with him.  As Sorripto sat up he looked out the forcefield of the brig and saw that his usual security escort was not present.  Standing and rubbing the remaining sleep from his eyes Sorripto called out.

"Hello.  Guys it is time for my shift I might be detained but I would still like to make it to work on time."

Hearing no response and still seeing no one Sorripto called out again.

"Guys hey anyone hello."

As Sorripto approached the force field of the brig to tap on it to get someone's attention his finger approached the field and nothing.  His hand passed right through where the field should have been.  Waving his hand through the field twice more Sorripto stepped out of the brig cell into the holding area and looked around seeing no one.  Walking towards the door to leave the holding area Sorripto walked up to the door which did not open.  Stopping at the door Sorripto reached for the panel to use the manual open when the sound of a slow clap caught his attention.  Turning Sorripto saw a familiar face with neatly parted black hair and dressed all in black sitting at the control desk.  Meeting eyes the Cardassian's fist clenched and any good feelings from the past seemed to leave with a tense breath.

"Jameson."

As the man stood his slow clap stopped as he reached and adjusted his collar.  Smiling at the fuming Cardassian the man spoke.

"Hello Commander nice to see you again."

Before Sorripto could say a word the man in black continued.

"And you look so well rested.  Weird because I have heard how busy you have been these past few months.  Speaking of which we need to talk about your little change of heart with your..."

Cutting off the man in black Sorripto belted out with such force and anger his throat began to hurt.

"Where are they?  Where is my family?"

Putting up his hand the man in black only shook his head.

"What family?  I read through your record Commander and everything in there says you were an only child.  Your mother died during the Dominion bombardment and your father shortly before you joined Starfleet... So tell me what family?"

Using every ounce of strength in his being to not clobber the man before him into a pulp Sorripto yelled back.

"You have my family where are they.  I did everything you asked now let them go!"

Shaking his finger the man in black retorted back.

"But you didn't do everything we asked now did you?  Did you?"

Sighing Sorripto's breathing became slowed.

"No."

"Exactly you want us to uphold our end of the bargain you uphold yours.  I notice that Sisko sits in medical... alive.  I did hear your little speech."

Tapping his chest with one finger the man continued.

"Got me right here.  It did really if I cared any more I would have shed a tear.  He has no idea that was a goodbye does he?  However that does not change the fact that he is up and around walking and breathing."

"Joey is no longer a threat and he remembers nothing there is no reason to kill him."

Slapping Sorripto the man showed a tone other then arrogant for the first time during the exchange.

"I did not ask you to make decisions now did I?  You are here to do a job for us and you failed to do that job.  You seemed to have everything going for you too.  You acted the villain at the meeting to get the traitor to trust you, then you sabotaged your ship and got aboard the prophecy, but once you were free to follow through with the rest of our plan you disobeyed me.  You failed and do not seem to care.  What will it take?"

Reaching into his pocket the man in black pulled out a little PADD with a picture on it.  The picture was of two female adult Cardassians and one young child  all of whom looked remarkably a lot like Sorripto.

"How much more persuasion do you need Commander?"

Looking at the picture Sorripto focused on the little girl his sharp memory flahsed trough every picture of her he had seen.  The wind, the glare, the color clothing everything was falling into place.  Sorripto had seen that picture before the picture he was looking at was old it was three old pictures digitally put into the same picture.  As the realization of what he was looking at set in Sorripto fell back and sat on the bench outside one of the brig cells.  Placing his hands over his face Sorripto composed himself as best he could; he knew what an altered photo meant.  In the hands of a villain like Jameson and Section 31 it meant they had no way of taking a more recent one.  Choking out a few words Sorripto asked in a sad and almost begging tone.

"When did they die?"

Realizing how quickly Sorripto had put together the bluff in his hand the man pocketed the bluff and shook his head in amazement.

"The Cardassian memory never seems to amaze me.  But still I have no idea what you are talking about."

Snapping back Sorripto stood his eyes welling with anger which were covering the tears.

"When?  Dammit tell me when!  You killed my family you could at least tell me when they died!"

"They were gone long before this mission even started.  Too bad too I thought for sure you would follow our instruction to the letter.  Now what I am going to use for leverage.  Snapping his fingers there is always Sisko, Captain Crist, or that pretty blue girl."

Almost jumping from the bench Sorripto had finally had enough and his anger got the best of him grabbing the man by his lapel Sorripto shoved him into a wall filled with such anger he was nearly foaming at the mouth Sorripto screamed in the man's face.

"You keep them out of this all of them!  I will burn for what I did for you bastards but I will not see anyone else involved in your little game."

Gently swatting at Sorripto's hands the man coughed slightly when he was released and recomposed himself adjusting top and collar again.

"Well that seems to be your red button now doesn't it?  That pretty little blue girl.  You care about her don't you?"

"She is my friend they all are."

"That is not what I meant and you know it.  Well I guess there is a heart in that cold boney Cardassian soul of your after all.  Too bad I was just starting to like you.  And as for our game, as you so lovingly call it, is not over is it?  You were supposed to kill Sisko to avoid what he knows about the Federation getting into the hands of someone else.  You were to eliminate the children and find the traitor aboard the McKenzie.  I said nothing about saving the crew or Sisko. 

And stun disks?  Really?  Was it that important to you that no one died?  You spent more time during your escape undoing all the sabotage from Chief Reichman by the time you left the McKenzie was never in any real danger.  I mean hell that psychotic technique that nearly killed your friend was at that point practically unnecessary.  You are pathetic in fact you are the worst traitor ever."

Shaking with rage Sorripto only shook his head.

"But I am not a traitor.  Not to the McKenzie, not to the Captain, and certainly not to the Federation.  I saved everyone that deserved to be saved and killed everyone who needed to die."

"The Prophecy was disabled surely they could have been spared while you were on your crusade to save the day."

"I had to destroy the Prophecy.  I know that Section 31 wanted to get their hands on that ship.  I used it to destroy the fleet that had just come in.  Even at full strength they would have destroyed the McKenzie in a few minutes."

With an exaggerated slow clap the man continued to mock Sorripto.

"Exactly Commander.  You saved them all and they want you to hang.  Except Crist anyway letting you walk around the ship he seems to think there is good in you somewhere.  If only he knew that you are not only the worst traitor ever you are the worst hero I have ever seen.  Your ability to follow simple directions are also in question.  You think you can pull a stunt like that and there won't be consequences.  When you sign on the dotted line we own you and will continue to do so until we decide otherwise."

"Sign?  You kidnaped my family I had no choice."

"You did have a choice apparently.  Sisko lives, no Prohpechy, and there is still the matter of everything that you know."

His anger giving way for just a moment Sorripto cracked a feint smile.

"There is all the things that I know or should I say the things the Federation knows."

Catching the subtle threat in his words the man perked up slightly.

"That is right you murderous blood sucking bastard.  Every order, every word, every video and message I saved them all.  Every log and input even the records from your shuttle when you recruited me."

As the man attempted to speak Sorripto snapped silencing him.

"I am not finished you worthless slime.  I also have the information on section 31.  Every member, traitor, supporter, sympathizer, murderous mission, illegal double dealing, double agent, triple agent, mole, sleeper, and merchant who sold you information."

Attempting to stand strong against this obvious non bluff the man attempted to correct Sorripto.

"You must be lying there is no way you could have that kind of information."

With his tongue Sorripto popped out one of his back molars spitting it into his hand Sorripto held it into the man's face.  As the man in black glanced down at the molar sticking out of was a cerebellum nanite probe.  This was the piece used by the borg integrate the mind and steal the thoughts of those being assimilated.  Section 31 had experimented with using it for intelligence gathering with mixed results.  Seeing Sorripto with one could only mean one thing.  The man in black's fears were confirmed as Sorripto continued waving the tooth in his face.

"No I did not have that kind of information... but you did."

Raising an eyebrow Sorripto clenched his fist around the tooth and with a right cross that could drop large mammal Sorripto punched the man in black across the face knocking him to the floor.

"You killed my family and held me hostage for some damn intelligence gathering mission.  You want to lecture me about evil.  What I did was wrong and I deserve to pay, but section 31 is the true evil.  In a universe where the Federation can make peace with the Undine, where a Cardassian risks everything to save his Bajoran friend, and where those that once called me friend will want justice no matter how much truth comes to light an evil entity like section 31 has no place here.  You are a relic of a darker time destined to rot away from history like the plague or an unjust war.  Everything needed to take Section 31 down forever and more is sitting on the desk of one of the best and most loyal Captain's in Starfleet.  When he reads what I gave him your game is over.  The Federation needs to thrive and will not do so until the cancer that you have infected the galaxy with is gone forever."

As the man in black stood the swelling already showing and blood trickling out both sides of his mouth Sorripto bellowed out in more anger.

"You want to know why I did what I did?  Because I saw my opportunity to end evil once and for all.  I have lost the trust of my closest friends and will never know the pleasure of serving aboard a Starfleet vessel again, but if I take any solace in what I have done I will know that the murder of my family was the last crime that ever be committed in the name of Section 31."

Smiling Sorripto smirked as he continued.

"I guess I was wrong about one thing Jameson."

"Oh and what's that?"

As Sorripto finished he nodded to the man in black as if telling him to turn around.  As the man slowly turned around he saw himself surrounded by a the barrels of a dozen phaser rifles all pointed at him.

"I guess Crist already read what I left him."

As the security forces detained and cuffed the man in black Sorripto walked back over and entered his cell sitting down.  Letting out a deep sigh Sorripto stared at the security forces who curiously eyed the Cardassian as they reactivated the force field to the brig.  Sorripto let out a deep sigh as he pulled out the small PADD he had taken  from Jameson's pocket seeing the pictures on the PADD the security officer standing guard outside the cell inquired.

"Who are those ladies Commander?"

Looking back at the picture Sorripto smiled.

"Those were my sisters."

Confused the security officer inquired again.

"Sisters?  I thought you were an only child Commander."

Putting the PADD down and resting his head on his bunk Sorripto wiped a tear from his eye.

"So did I, until someone showed me some pictures of them a few months ago."